Less than one week after the federal government went to an Abuja High Court to secure a ruling based on exparte order, proscribing and tagging the activities of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a terrorist organization, the United States (US) Government has reacted, saying it does not consider IPOB a terrorist organisation.
On Wednesday last week, the Federal High Court in Abuja gave a judicial backing the executive order of President Muhammadu Buhari, outlawing the group and its activities in the country.
The legal moved stemmed from rather, a highly criticized pronouncement by the military hierarchy, tagging IPOB a terror group shortly after the resumption of Operation Phyton Dance II in the South East region of Nigeria.
The spokesman for the American Embassy in Nigeria, Russell Brooks, revealed on Friday that the US government does not view IPOB as a terrorist group.
According to him, the US was committed to Nigeria’s unity and would support a peaceful resolution of any crisis in the country, stressing that “The United States Government is strongly committed to Nigeria’s unity. Important political and economic issues affecting the Nigerian people, such as the allocation of resources, are worthwhile topics for respectful debate in a democracy”.
“Within the context of unity, we encourage all Nigerians to support a de-escalation of tensions and peaceful resolution of grievances. The Indigenous People of Biafra is not a terrorist organisation under US law.”
Though the US was silent on whether the Federal Government had asked it to treat IPOB as a terrorist organisation and to block money sent to IPOB from the US, the Embassy image-maker maintained sealed lips on the US’ position on the agitation for a Biafran state.
