The Federal Govern­ment has said the reported decision of the United Kingdom to grant asylum to “persecut­ed” members of the Indige­nous People of Biafra (IPOB) is disrespectful of Nigeria as a nation.

The Minister of Informa­tion and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also said that the decision amounted to sabotag­ing the fight against terrorism and generally undermining Nigeria’s security.

Fielding questions at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) flagship interview programme, NANForum, on Tuesday in Abuja, Moham­med said the decision is un­acceptable to Nigeria.

“Let me say straightaway that this issue is within the purview of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and I am sure he will handle it appropriately.

“Against the background of the fact that IPOB is not only proscribed but also des­ignated as a terrorist organ­isation here in Nigeria, the UK’s decision is disrespectful of Nigeria as a nation.

“The decision amounts to sabotaging the fight against terrorism and generally un­dermining Nigeria’s security.

“It is not only unconsciona­ble, it is inexplicable,” he said.

The minister said that there had recently been heightened attacks against security agencies in the South East zone.

He said IPOB had been fingered as being behind the attacks in spite of its denials.

“For the UK to choose this time to give succour to IPOB beggars belief and calls to question the UK’s real inten­tion.

“If we could go down the memory lane, what the UK has done is like Nigeria of­fering asylum to members of the IRA before the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement,” he said.

UK Visas and Immigra­tion (UKVI) had released new guidelines to its decision mak­ers on how to consider and grant asylum applications by members of Biafran seces­sionist groups.

In the guidelines, asylum is to be granted to “persecuted” members IPOB, a group that Nigeria had designated as a terrorist organisation.

Also in the guidelines, asylum is to be granted to the Movement for the Actualisa­tion of the Sovereign State of Biafra.