ABUJA, Nigeria – The Senate, Nigeria’s upper chamber of the National Assembly, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, has called on the Federal Government to collaborate with Finnish authorities to extradite Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafran agitator, for prosecution.
Wednesday’s session strongly condemned the recurring sit-at-home orders in the South East geopolitical zone every Monday.
The upper chamber further resolved to invite the soon-to-be-appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and other relevant stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive investigation and bring all sponsors of these disruptive acts to justice.
The controversial sit-at-home directive is reportedly enforced by a faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) across five South-East states: Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi.
Instituted in 2021, the directive is an effort to expedite demands for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, currently in the Department of State Services, DSS, custody and facing prosecution for terrorism-related charges.
The economic implications of the sit-at-home orders are alarming.
In July 2023, the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, stated that these directives are causing his state to lose over N10 billion every Monday.
The Senate’s condemnation of these directives and the call for a thorough investigation signals an escalation in the government’s response to the growing unrest in the South East.
The call for Ekpa’s extradition also shows the government’s determination to hold accountable individuals believed to be instigating the disruptions.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Places $500,000 Bounty for Simon Ekpa, Calls for Igbo Unity
ABUJA, Nigeria – Socio-political organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has urged Southeastern Nigerians to join hands in halting the disruptive activities of Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, and has placed a $500,000 bounty for information leading to his arrest.
In a statement released on Sunday, July 23, 2023, the Secretary-General of the organization, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, called on every Igbo person to contribute to maintaining peace and order in the region, describing Ekpa as a catalyst for violence, insecurity, and economic disruptions.
According to the statement, Ekpa, who resides in Finland but originates from Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria, “has been implicated in orchestrating a series of disruptive activities, including the enforcement of a Sit-at-Home order that paralyzed the region for one week, from 3rd to 9th July 2023.”
The enforced order resulted in “significant loss of lives and severely crippled economic and social activities in the Southeast.”
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo statement indicated that Ekpa was recently located in Espoo, Finland, but managed to evade capture despite sustaining severe injuries.
He is believed to be in Havana, Cuba, undergoing medical treatment, potentially including plastic surgery.
Isiguzoro revealed in the statement that “Ekpa’s allies have been releasing old recorded videos to continue to hoodwink his followers, conceal his recent ordeals and near capture, but Igbo mercenaries in the diaspora are closing in on him.”
The organization expressed grave concern about Ekpa’s self-declared role as Prime Minister of the Biafra Government in Exile and his declaration of a Biafra referendum, which they say has the potential to ignite civil unrest in Southeast Nigeria.
The statement warned of the risk of repeating the catastrophic events of the Biafra-Nigeria civil war, which led to an estimated two million deaths, primarily among innocent children and women.
According to Isiguzoro, Ekpa has announced plans for another two weeks of enforced Sit-at-Home from 31st July to 14th August 2023.
This action he suggests, would undermine the constitutionally mandated authority of Southeast Governors to protect the lives and properties of the region’s citizens.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Southeast political leaders are said to remain steadfast in their aim to capture Ekpa and thwart his planned disruptions.
“It is time to stand united and defeat the insecurity challenges that threaten the region,” Isiguzoro urged.
