The United States of Biafra (USB) has criticized the Nigerian government’s decision to label Biafrans as terrorist financiers, stating that Nigeria lacks the authority to make such declarations.
Dr. Ngozi Orabueze, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of USB, made this assertion on Saturday through a post on her X account.
Her comment comes as the Nigerian government, through its Nigeria Sanction Committee, barely two days ago designated the Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa, and 16 others as terrorist financiers.
However, Orabueze stressed that Nigerian authorities lack the morale and jurisdiction to designate Biafrans who engage in activism and liberation agitation as terrorists.
She noted that Biafrans are not terrorists and will not succumb to intimidation.
“Through legislation passed by the USB Cabinets in February 2025, a law was passed that bans any government, foreign or local, from tagging any Biafran that engages in activities to restore Biafra as a territory,” Orabueze explained.
She added that, “It is laughable and a double standard of the Nigerian government headed by President Ahmed Tinubu, who currently supports and executes a policy that reintegrates known terrorists into the Nigerian and Biafran system, including the banking sectors, and is now designating Biafrans as terrorists.”.
Orabueze accused the Nigerian government of misplaced priority and bias for designating Biafrans as terrorists while kidnappers causing havoc on citizens through ransom collection and murder go scot-free.
“Nigeria’s government has refused in most cases to publicly track and list these terrorists/kidnappers as terrorist financiers. The recent case of a local government chairman who was featured publicly begging for ransom to safeguard his life from terrorists is an example where the Nigerian state has not publicly identified or listed terrorists as financiers.
“This ploy to list innocent Biafrans as terrorist financiers is a tactic used by the Nigerian state, which has been indicted for several human rights violations, abuses, and killings to suppress Biafrans.
“Neither PM Simon Ekpa nor those innocent Biafrans listed by President Tinubu as terrorist financiers are terrorists and implores the public and any international group or country to disregard these false and negative allegations from the Nigerian state. She said that President Tinubu, his vice, Shettima, and Attorney General of Nigeria Lateef Fagbemi are terrorist financiers as they support policies that reintegrate known terrorists into Nigeria,” Orabueze stated.
She urged Biafrans whose names were listed by President Tinubu as terrorist financiers not to panic or fret.
According to her, the USB will file human rights abuse charges against the Nigerian government at the appropriate court.
“We want to build a country where innocent citizens who fight for freedom and their nation are not tagged as terrorist financiers.
“United States of Biafra will file the necessary documents with the right organisations on this intimidation, false accusation, and economic strangulation.
“The United States of Biafra Mission office in Washington DC will be inaugurated on May 30th, 2025. Part of the event will be a peace summit for Biafrans across the world and a commemoration of Biafra Heroes and Heroines,” she stated.
