South East, West Separationists Not Different From Boko Haram, ISWAP – Gbajabiamila

THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said there was no difference between the separatist activists in the South-West and South-East geopolitical zones in the country, and the deadly Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.

He expressed deep concerns over the growing insecurity in the country and assured Nigerians that the nation’s Parliament was prepared to assist relevant government and security agencies to tackle the scourge.

Maintaining that the Yoruba Nation and IPOB agitators are similar to Boko Haram, Gbajabiamila, who spoke at the resumption of the House of Representatives from the 2021 annual legislative recess on Wednesday, said, “We must now add to these concerns an emerging threat that presents the same clear and present danger.

“These people, in their inclination for devastating violence against fellow citizens, their appetite for the destruction of private property, their disruption of academic activities, commerce, and industry, their propensity for defiling institutions of the state, society and community, their refusal to engage in debate, or to consider the possibility of dissenting opinions and alternative viewpoints, are no different from Boko Haram and ISWAP.”

Yoruba Nation, IPOB agitators continue protest at UN HQ

Meanwhile Nigerians agitating for a Yoruba nation and the Indigenous People of Biafra among others resumed their protest at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

They said Wednesday’s protest was geared towards getting the attention of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, who addressed the UN Assembly, and other world leaders.

Members of various self-determination groups, under the aegis of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, were seen displaying placards with different inscriptions as they marched to the UN headquarters.

Among the inscriptions are ‘We want freedom, enough is enough’, ‘Yoruba Nation now’, ‘Buhari not representing us’, ‘Stop killing agitators’, and ‘Grant us referendum’.

They also chanted anti-oppression songs and asked Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to resign.

While one of the leaders of the protest said, “What do you want?”, the others responded, “Referendum, Yoruba Nation, Biafra…”

The Nigerians also held pictures of people killed in Nigeria in a bid to depict genocide.

One of them said she was fighting for her unborn generation, adding, “Nigeria is a scam. Buhari, give us Yoruba Nation before you completely ruin Nigeria.”

One of the male protesters said, “This is the beginning of the end. International Criminal Court should come to Nigeria now. We want them to put end to fake amalgamation and marriage.”

Presidency warns Yoruba Nation against joining IPOB’s agitation

Reacting, the Presidency warned the Yoruba Nation against throwing its lot with the Indigenous People of Biafra, saying Nigeria and the world will judge the group by the company it keeps.

While calling the perceived cooperation “a worrying development”, it appealed to the media to report only the core issues as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), joins other world leaders at the 76th United Nations General Assembly.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Appeal to media to focus on core issues as President Buhari goes to the United Nations’.

Shehu was apparently reacting to reports that self-determination agitators operating on the platform of Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination on Tuesday began their one-million-man freedom march at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The statement read, “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 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.

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