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France, UK, denies Lai Muhammad’s claims

French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauer, has replied the claim made by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammad, that the financial headquarters of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is in France.

The Minister was quoted to have said:

We have the records. We know IPOB collects money from many people from diaspora. They collect money from many people in Nigeria they collect money from some foreign countries. This is clear.

Let me tell you, the financial headquarters is in France. We know but you see, can you as a government stop sending money to your parents? You have to block the sources of finance. That is what I said recently.

France has expressed commitment to the unity of Nigeria and denied allegations that it is the headquarters of source of funds for the group.

The French Embassy in Abuja, in a statement yesterday by its Political Counsellor, Claude Abily, dismissed the Minister’s remarks.

The Embassy of France was surprised by the statement made yesterday by the Minister of Information and Culture indicating that the “financial headquarters” of IPOB were in France.

“We don’t have any knowledge of a particular presence of IPOB in France and the Nigerian authorities never got in touch with the Embassy on this point.

“We stand ready to examine any information which could support this statement. Furthermore, we would like to reiterate that France actively cooperates with Nigeria in the field of security and that we strongly support the unity of the country, it said.

Speaking against the backdrop of France’s previous support for Biafra during Nigeria’s Civil War, Gauer pointed out that Nigeria has evolved since the civil war.

France has been cooperating with the country to overcome its challenges, especially the fight against insurgency.

We are working with Nigeria and we are supporting it as the only country. This is absolutely clear and I don’t think there is any kind of future for Biafra. They are part of Nigeria and Nigeria has to remain as the only country,” he said.

The Ambassador explained how France helped the former Goodluck Jonathan’s Government organise a regional meeting with neighbouring Francophone countries; Chad, Cameroon and Republic of Benin, in Paris, in 2014, following which the Multinational Joint Task Force, MJTF was established to fight Boko Haram.

 Apart from encouraging neighbouring African countries to cooperate with Nigeria, we have also developed a strong bilateral relationship with the Nigerian Armed forces.

In the same development, United Kingdom has denied that Nigeria contacted the her to shut down Biafra Radio.

Lai Muhammad, had earlier said that the British Government was approached to shut down the station but the request was met with unfavourable response.

Who does not know that the IPOB internal radio is located in London? We know the diplomatic moves we have been taking and approaching the UK, all the damages it (Radio Biafra) has done, but they don’t see it that way, for them (the British Government), it is about freedom of expression,” he had said.

Reacting to the claim in a statement, Spokesman to the British High Commission, Joe Abuku, said if the UK has received such request, they would have considered it carefully.

The UK is not aware of any representation from the Nigerian Government about Radio Biafra, he said.

Were we to receive any such request, we would, of course, consider it carefully on the basis of the available evidence, recognising that freedom of speech and expression carries responsibilities.

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