The British High Commission in Nigeria says it is not aware of any request by Nigeria against Radio Biafra, which is broadcast from London.

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, had told the media that the UK government refused to shut down Radio Biafra despite the diplomatic approaches taken by the federal government.

“Who does not know that the IPOB internal radio is located in London? We know the diplomatic moves we have been taking and approaching the UK, all the damages it (Radio Biafra) has done, but they don’t see it that way, for them (the British government), it is about freedom of expression,” Mohammed said.

But responding to the allegation, Joe Abuku, spokesman of the British High Commission in Nigeria, issued a statement saying the UK was “not aware of any representation from the Nigerian government about Radio Biafra”.

“Were we to receive any such request, we would of course consider it carefully on the basis of the available evidence, recognising that freedom of speech and expression carries responsibilities,” Abuku stated.

On Thursday, the French Embassy in Nigeria also denied Lai Mohammed’s allegation that the financial headquarters of the IPOB is in France.

“We don’t have any knowledge of a particular presence of IPOB in France and the Nigerian authorities never got in touch with the embassy on this point,” a statement by the embassy read.