The presidency has said 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.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in a statement yesterday in Abuja, that it was, however shocking, to see “Yoruba Nation” advocates unequivocally throwing their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
According to him, IPOB is a designated terrorist organisation. It has now publicly revealed a 50,000 -strong paramilitary organisation.
He said, “It regularly murders security agents 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 this organisation seriously 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.
Meanwhile, Shehu said the Nigerian government will continue its work at the UN – to fight against corruption and illicit financial flows and international cooperation.
