The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has replied the United Kingdom after the country indicated interest to offer asylum to persecuted members of the secessionist group.

On Tuesday, April 20, LIB shared a report that the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), a division of the Home Office in the just-released ‘Country Policy and Information Note Nigeria: Biafran secessionist groups’, directed its decision-makers to consider if a person “who actively and openly supports IPOB is likely to be at risk of arrest and detention, and ill-treatment which is likely to amount to persecution”.  

IPOB has now responded, saying its desire is to have a referendum on self-determination for the South-East and not asylum. 

A referendum is a vote on which the citizens of a country give their opinion or decide an important political question. A territorial referendum could lead to the breakaway of a region from a country.

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A statement from Emma Powerful, IPOB media and publicity secretary, reads;

“We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great and indomitable leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has noted with satisfaction the news that the United Kingdom has agreed to grant asylum to persecuted Biafra agitators resident in the UK.

While we commend them for this bold initiative, we wish to most graciously remind them that what we Biafrans need and cherish the most is referendum and not asylum in the UK.

We are tired of living in bondage in the devilish contraption called Nigeria they single-handedly created.

We would not wish our children, now and generations unborn, to share the same geo-political space with those that reward terrorists and criminalize law abiding citizens.

We particularly thank the UK government for confirming what the rest of the civilized world already know that the great IPOB worldwide family are not terrorists but peaceful agitators and freedom fighters.

That Nigeria is a country run by terrorists for the benefit of terrorists has been confirmed by this noble move by the United Kingdom.

Aso Rock, the seat of power in Nigeria is a terrorist haven with serving ministers who are openly sympathetic to terrorists and their activities coming and going as they please, while freedom fighters are languishing in jail. We want freedom not asylum.”