President Muhammadu Buhari has alleged that a serving member of the National Assembly is among those financing separatists in Nigeria.
Mr Buhari said this during his televised broadcast on Friday to mark Nigeria’s 61st independence anniversary.
The Nigerian leader said the recent arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday (Igboho) Adeyemo – two separatists demanding the creation of independent countries out of Nigeria – reveals high-profile financiers including the lawmaker.
He, however, did not name the lawmaker.
Mr Buhari, who is serving his second term in office, addressed Nigerians on a number of national issues as the nation marks its 61st Independence Anniversary.
Speaking on secessionist agitations rocking parts of the nation, Mr Buhari said Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable “and its ultimate success can only be achieved if we all come together with a common goal of having peace and prosperity for our nation.”
Indicted unnamed lawmaker
Mr Buhari said the recent arrests of Messrs Kanu and Igboho “have revealed certain high-profile financiers behind these individuals.”
“We are vigorously pursuing these financiers including one identified as a serving member of the national assembly,” Mr Buhari said.
“We shall continue to work on dialogue based solutions to address legitimate grievances. But we remain ready to take decisive actions against secessionist agitators and their sponsors who threaten our national security,” he added.
Mr Kanu’s IPOB has been accused of using violence to call for the creation of a Biafra country for the Igbos of South-east Nigeria. The group has been declared a terrorist organisation and blamed for some of the attacks on security officials and government facilities in the South-east and South-south parts of the country. Mr Kanu is currently being detained and prosecuted in Nigeria.
Mr Igboho is championing the cause of a Yoruba nation for the Yorubas of South-west Nigeria. He is currently being detained in Benin Republic at the request of the Nigerian government which wants him extradited.
Apart from the claim of identifying financiers of separatists, the Buhari government recently said it was investigating terrorism financiers but would not divulge their identities yet.
Mr Buhari has come under criticism over his perceived ‘soft handling’ of killer herders and bandits in relation to his heavy-handed approach at crippling the activities of secessionists.
