Lai Mohammed begs Nigerians in diaspora to stop funding secessionists

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged Nigerians in Diaspora to ignore secessionists that want to break Nigeria apart.

Numerous separatist groups, especially in the south east and south west, have accused the Federal Government of marginalisation and demanded a referendum to create new independent nations in their regions.

The President Muhammadu Buhari government has insisted on Nigeria's unquestionable unity and cracked down hard on such groups.

While meeting with the United Kingdom chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, Mohammed said the agitations are misguided.

He said it's disheartening that secessionist groups are using some Nigerians in diaspora to propagate their fake narratives about the country.

The minister said this is done to reap their financial contributions to fund their activities which he called 'nefarious'.

He said allegations of religious persecution, political marginalisation, and human rights abuses against the government are all false and baseless.

"As an organised and well connected group, I implore NIDO to leverage its contacts in government circles, parliamentary groups, and global think tanks in world capitals to help change the narrative and sweep the carpet off the feet of secessionist groups, insurgents and anarchists who are bent on pushing false narratives to portray Nigeria in bad light," he said.

Mohammed told Nigerians in diaspora to stop relying on platforms that peddle fake news and misinformation about the country.

He said they should instead propagate the efforts of the government in solving the nation's challenges.

"I have no doubt that you will take this call seriously and do everything in your power to change the narrative for the better," the minister said.

Critics have long scored the Buhari administration low on its human rights record, especially with its history of high-handedness in dealing with dissent.