The presidency says the “cooperation” between Yoruba Nation
agitators and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is “shocking” and a
“worrying development”.
On Tuesday, agitators under the umbrella of the Nigerian
Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS) protested at
the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, US.
NINAS refers to itself as a “multi-ethnic alliance of the
indigenous peoples of the Middle Belt (part of the former Northern Region),
Ilana Omo Oodua (the former Western Region) and the Lower Niger (Former Eastern
& Mid-Western Regions)”.
In a statement on Wednesday, Garba Shehu, presidential
spokesperson, said the Yoruba nation agitators may not be taken seriously as a
result of its association with IPOB.
“For Nigerian
diaspora groups to use the world’s largest platform – the United Nations
General Assembly – to garner attention to their causes is not unexpected,”
Shehu said.
“It was, however shocking, to see “Yoruba Nation” advocates
yesterday unequivocally throw their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB). IPOB is a designated terrorist organisation. It has now publicly
revealed a 50,000 strong paramilitary organisation.
“It regularly murders security services and innocent
civilians, with a significant uptick of violent attacks this year. And it is
currently attempting to hold Nigerian states hostage with orders to stay at
home under threat of terror.
“Without doubt, Nigerians and the entire world will judge
Yoruba Nation by the company it keeps. No one can take seriously this
organisation if it continues its IPOB association. When their allies
systematically trample human rights, it raises sober questions about their
claims to uphold the values of the UN.
“The cooperation is a worrying development, once parsed with
Yoruba Nation’s increasingly violent rallies in Nigeria. Actions and
associations speak louder than words. Yoruba Nation’s talk of human rights
promotion must therefore be ignored.”
The presidency also asked the media to work with the
government and focus attention on core issues as President Muhammadu Buhari
goes to the UN.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com