Africa Press-Nigeria:<\/p>\n
The presidency has released the statement below accusing an outlawed separtist group of working to discredit the Nigerian government internationally, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.<\/p>\n
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wants an independent country of Biafra, made up of the Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria, largely in the South-eastern part of the country.<\/p>\n
The group was outlawed in Nigeria after the federal government accused it of terrorism, although most of its programmes and protests have been largely peaceful.<\/p>\n
The government has also clamped down violently on IPOB members with some of the attacks condemned by rights groups including Amnesty International.<\/p>\n
The leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently on exile abroad after he jumped bail from his trial for treason in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
In a statement Sunday by President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, he accused IPOB of waging a smear camapign to accuse the Nigerian government of encouraging the persecution of Christians.<\/p>\n
\u201cNigerians and the international community are advised to be wary of this divisive campaign, which available evidence shows is being funded with a monthly spending of $85,000 USD since October 2019, with no records of the source of this largesse,\u201d Mr Shehu wrote.<\/p>\n
Read Mr Shehu\u2019s full statement below.<\/p>\n
IPOB, SELF-PROCLAIMED JEWS, USING CHRISTIANITY TO WAGE WAR AGAINST THE NIGERIAN STATE<\/p>\n
The Presidency wishes to draw the attention of all citizens and the international community to a most misleading campaign spearheaded by the so-called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) using false allegations of persecution of Christians against the Nigerian State.<\/p>\n
A very deep and wide investigation by an agency of the Nigerian government, working with international partners have made us become aware that there are two, interconnected campaigns being run concurrently by the IPOB in this regard.<\/p>\n
Both are using the cover of Christianity \u2013 and calling for a US Special Envoy to be appointed to stop the \u201cgenocide\u201d of Christians in Nigeria. But the real purpose is to drive a wedge between the Nigeria government and its US and UK\/European allies.<\/p>\n
IPOB leadership of course self-proclaims as \u201cJewish,\u201d a position not shared by the generality of the members.<\/p>\n
For reasons of convenience, he claims to have an interest in the welfare of Christians \u2013 but this is a ruse: the case for independence, the leader believes, is strengthened by \u201cproving\u201d the government of Nigeria is \u201cautocratic\u201d, engaged in a \u201csilent slaughter\u201d of their own citizens along religion and ethnic lines \u2013 and that therefore the only viable option for the unique religious and ethnic minority is a sovereign Biafra separate from Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Nigerians and the international community are advised to be wary of this divisive campaign, which available evidence shows is being funded with a monthly spending of $85,000 USD since October 2019, with no records of the source of this largesse.<\/p>\n
The campaign consists of producing articles in the names of the alleged Christian NGOs\u2019 leaders (of campaign groups created at the time this PR contract with a US lobbying firm was signed) and letters to and from members of Congress to the White House.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, some Members of Congress have clearly been persuaded there is indeed a \u201cChristian persecution\u201d underway in Nigeria \u2013 and do so quoting the campaign \u2013 and they are known to be taking up the case directly with the White House to appoint the special envoy.<\/p>\n
The American charity secured a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and has made presentations to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.<\/p>\n
There is also a UK and European angle of the Campaign, which is more opaque than its US sister campaign \u2013 given there is less legal requirement for public filings \u2013 but what is known of this at the moment is that their Budget is sufficient to hire four PR firms in the UK, Belgium, France and the US (the latter additional to the above).<\/p>\n
They have founded an \u201cNGO\/Charity\u201d and a linked web-based campaign named \u201cStop the Silent Slaughter\u201d which is well designed and complete with video \u201cevidence\u201d-completely concocted.<\/p>\n
Members of the alleged Christian NGO have had multiple Op-Ed articles in conservative news websites promulgating their message of a \u201cChristian Genocide\u201d. Some of those articles have also been used as \u201cevidence\u201d in the sister US campaign.<\/p>\n
Two of those conservative news websites were co-founded by the owner of the UK PR firm they have hired to generate their publicity as well as an OP-Ed article in the name of a British MP who may have been convinced by their campaign under false pretences.<\/p>\n
They have secured additional coverage in France, EU and Germany.<\/p>\n
They secured a MPs debate on the \u201cChristian Genocide\u201d in the House of Commons in which staff member of the UK PR was referenced as the \u201cprivate secretary\u201d to the leader of the UK-based Charity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Africa Press-Nigeria: The presidency has released the statement below accusing an outlawed separtist group of working to discredit the Nigerian government internationally, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wants an independent country of Biafra, made up of the Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria, largely in the South-eastern part of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":14301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[199,625],"class_list":["post-25940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-ipob","tag-nnamdi-kanu"],"yoast_head":"\n