The Government of France yesterday denied any links with
the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the group seeking a referendum to carve
out a separate country in the South-East of Nigeria.
The Federal Government of Nigeria which launched a
military clampdown on the separatist group last week, subsequently proscribed
IPOB and declared it a terrorist organisation.
The government also alleged that the group was being
funded from France and that it would take urgent measures to block the funding.
But the Embassy of France in Nigeria has expressed surprised by the statement
made on Wednesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, indicating that the “financial headquarters” of IPOB were in France.
The statement signed by the Political Counsellor, Embassy
of France in Nigeria, Claude Abily, challenged the Federal Government of
Nigeria to provide documentary evidence to substantiate its claims that France
was the financial headquarters of the separatist group.
The envoy said: “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.”
Source: newtelegraphonline.com
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