The Federal Government says Nigeria does not need the permission of any nation before declaring anyone or organisation a terrorist group. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this during an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday. Mohammed said Nigeria had never questioned the decisions of any country regarding the running of its internal affairs. He said when many countries of the world declared their own citizens terrorists, Nigeria never interfered, out of respect for their sovereignty and integrity. The United States had, last week, said it did not consider Independent People of Biafra a terrorist organisation. The Federal High Court in Abuja had, on September 20, ruled that IPOB was a terrorist organisation while it also banned its activities in Nigeria. But the spokesman for the American Embassy in Nigeria, Russell Brooks, said the US government did not view IPOB as a terrorist group. Brooks stated, “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”.
