FG knows financial sponsors of Biafran separatist group - Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has revealed that the Federal Government is aware of the people funding the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The minister disclosed this while speaking on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, on a programme called "Good Morning Nigeria".

He said the government is already taking steps to stop the funding stream that's helping the group's activities, accusing them of using fake videos to garner international sympathy from ignorant countries.

The minister said, "Terrorists do not publish where their funding are coming from. But we know the countries that are supporting IPOB. We know the sources of their funding though I am not at liberty to disclose them here.

"We are taking steps to block them and we are also taking a lot of diplomatic actions in respect of the countries that are supporting them.

"As we speak today, IPOB has written letters to many Governments outside Nigeria, international parliaments sending fake and cloned videos claiming there is genocide in Nigeria."

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After a week of unrest between IPOB members and the Nigerian Army in Abia state, the separatist group was officially branded a "militant terrorist organisation" in a statement by Director, Defence Information (DDI), Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, on Friday, September 15.

This was followed up by an official proscription of activities of the group by the South East Governors' Forum later on Friday after an emergency meeting in Enugu.

Chairman of the forum, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi requested the group and other such groups to articulate their grievances and send to the forum.