Be mindful of your relationship with IPOB, presidency warns Yoruba Nation protesters

The presidency has advised Yoruba Nation, a group of secessionist to be mindful of the relationship with the outlawed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, gave the warning while reacting to the protest that both groups staged at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Tuesday.

• Why Buhari’s govt has been borrowing – APC
• PODCAST: How Nigerians’ Love For Foreign Goods Is Killing The Naira

Brandishing placards and chanting protest songs, the self-determination agitators called on Nigerian leaders and stakeholders to rise up and fight for secession.

But in a statement on Wednesday, Shehu said while protest is a legitimate right, it was improper for the demonstrators to associate with a terrorist group.

Highlighting the atrocities of IPOB, Shehu said the outlawed group had already announced a “50,000 strong paramilitary organisation”.

“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.”

“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.”