British Government advised to distance self from Nigeria's politics

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) yesterday advised British High Commissioner Catriona Laing to distance herself from Nigerian politics and political processes.

It said most of the political problems in the country were indirectly fuelled by the British government.

The group also faulted the 1964 population census, which it said was falsified to give the North edge over the South.

In a statement by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful, the body noted that the British government contributed 99.9 per cent of the political problems facing the country.

Abia State residents have said their decision to stay at home yesterday is not in obedience to the sit-at-home call of the factional leader of IPOB, Simon Ekpa.

Ekpa had ordered Southeast people to observe sit-at-home for five days as part of their efforts to push for the release of the detained leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu, who is in the Department of State Services (DSS) custody.

Residents of Aba, the commercial city of the state and their Umuahia counterparts, stayed away from their shops and offices yesterday as they continued to observe the Monday sit-at-home.

Major markets, banks and other public institutions were closed for business, but some private schools, which were yet to close for the year, used the day to hold their Christmas parties.

Some of them, who spoke to our correspondent, said their compliance with the sit-at-home was not in obedience to the order of Ekpa.

They said it was insensitive of Ekpa to call for a five-day sit-at-home in the Southeast without any good reason.

Commercial motor parks were opened for business.

There was no harassment of residents by any person or group of persons.


FI