David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi State, on Thursday, December 15, 2022, said the Simon Ekpa group is a new bandit that terrorizes the Southeast region and vowed that they must be flushed out, especially as the 2023 general election approaches.
Umahi made this known while addressing stakeholders and party members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the Elders/Widows Party that took place at the Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
The governor said that Ebonyi State can’t be part of Biafra, and lamented the continued killings and destruction of lives and properties in the region.
According to him: “When this agitation for Biafra started, I told them that this matter will go beyond Nnamdi Kanu. And today, it has gone beyond Nnamdi Kanu. Every criminal says he is IPOB. Every criminal says he is ESN.
“Now, we have another bandit they call Simon Ekpa. Is this the Biafra we desired? To be killing ourselves and displacing others. That’s why we said in the heat of that crisis that Ebonyi State can never be part of Biafra. We are not Biafra.
“If Biafra is to be killing ourselves, to go to the market and start shooting people that have done nothing, to be declaring sit-at-home in our homeland and destroying the economy, for what reason? These things are strange to our culture.
“We have phones, and we call our people to call us on phone and tell us where these people are. The Police and Ebubeagu security outfit are on ground. I warn politicians who use these boys. They are the ones that go to court to sue Ebubeagu. They go to national television to condemn Ebubeagu.
“They have killed a lot of Ebubeagu people who are trying to protect our people. I ask all the local government people to give us information because we are ready to enter into the forest to flush out these bandits,” he stated.
‘No Sit-At-Home on Friday, ignore Simon Ekpa’ – IPOB Declares
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has said no sit-at-home order tomorrow (Friday).
IPOB said the reported order issued by Nnamdi Kanu’s alleged disciple, Simon Ekpa should be ignored.
Emma Powerful, the spokesman of the group, accused Ekpa of trying to destroy IPOB.
A statement by Powerful accused Ekpa of working for the Nigerian Government to destroy the IPOB.
Powerful maintained that Ekpa was not a member of IPOB, hence should be disregarded by those sympathetic to the Biafran cause.
He described Ekpa as a scam.
According to Powerful: “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been drawn to the laughable, disgraceful and unguarded statements credited to certain “Refugees interpreter” based in Finland whose name is Simon Ekpa through whom Nigeria Government and enemies of Biafra had successfully launched so many tragedies and attacks against our land and people.
“We do, hereby, strongly reiterate once again that Simon Ekpa is not IPOB member, not IPOB or Biafra spokesman, not a family member of IPOB in any family unit in Finland, and has never remitted a dime from his monthly fundraising to Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“Every activity of the Finland-based blogger and scammer, Simon Ekpa is to scam and deprive ignorant Biafrans who genuinely wanted to support the only genuine ESN under IPOB-DOS command of funds and logistics so that Igbo land would be invaded by Fulani invaders.
“We, therefore, advise Simon Ekpa and his miserable sponsors not to continue hiding under the name IPOB, ESN and commit all manner of crimes.
“IPOB did not order sit-at-home on Friday which is tomorrow 22nd July 2022, this would be reechoed tonight by IPOB leadership the Governing body. The Directorate Of State the DOS of The Indigenous People Of Biafra will speak to Night, please tune in to Radio Biafra tonight 21/07/2022 at 7:30 BT (Biafra Time).”
Source: Daily Post
