Paul Arkwright, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, says the United Kingdom does not support any agitation for geared towards the breakup of Nigeria.
Arkwright said this in reaction to insinuations that the British government was backing a section of the country that is calling for secession.
He made the comments in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, when he paid a courtesy visit on the State Hose of Assembly as part of his visit to Bukola Saraki, the Senate President.
“In a word, no, we don’t have anything to do with anyone agitating for breakup of Nigeria,” he said.
“We’re strongly in support of the unity of Nigeria and the federal government of Nigeria. And that’s what the British government has consistently supported and we don’t have interest or support any one agitating for the breakup of Nigeria.
“For anyone to say the British governmental is involved in any way in the break-up of Nigeria is completely wrong.”
Arkwright acknowledged that Nigeria’s democratic situation is delicate, but added that there are patriotic Nigerians who put in enormous efforts towards ensuring that democracy is protected in the country.
Also, Denys Gauer, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, had pledged the country’s commitment to a one, united Nigeria, adding that a lot has changed between the time of the civil war in 1967 and now.
France was an ally of defunct Biafra during the 1967 to 1970 Nigerian civil war.
According to Gauer, such move to form a different republic by a section of Nigeria has since been overtaken by events and his country no longer supports it, neither will it work in any way with any group calling for the breakup of Nigeria.