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The incarcerated leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has distanced himself from a controversial and self-acclaimed disciple of his, Simon Ekpa.
Kanu disowns Ekpa: Kanu also stated categorically that Ekpa was neither an IPOB member nor a follower of his self-determination tenets.
What you should know: Pulse reports that Ekpa is based in Finland where he operates as an acclaimed follower of the IPOB leader, and has been fingered for instigating killings and other atrocities carried out by suspected members of the group.
He shut into the international limelight in 2020, when he started a petition on the global change platform, change.org, titled, “UK, EU, UN, World Powers Must Start the Process to Dissolve Nigeria 1914 Amalgamation”. The petition had over 84,902 signatures, The Punch reports.
Sit-at-home crisis: Ekpa had issued a five-day sit-at-home order in the South-East last week, which resulted in the killing of many residents of the region, including a pregnant market seller in Enugu State.
Ekpa acting alone: Speaking through his special counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the IPOB leader declared that Ekpa was acting out of his own volition and not on his (Kanu) orders.
The IPOB leader also condemned the recent killings in the South-East and urged the Federal Government to investigate and bring the perpetrators to book.
Kanu's words: “Simon Ekpa is not a member of IPOB. He should be investigated for the killings in the South-East and cannot be fighting for the self-determination of the Biafra people.
“The fact is clear. Simon Ekpa is being sponsored by persons we cannot mention this time to destroy the South-East. He cannot say he is fighting for Biafra’s emancipation and still instigating criminal elements to go after the people he claims he is fighting to protect.
“Members of the Eastern Security Network are somewhere killing our innocent people. This should tell you that Ekpa is acting out scripts by people who want to devour our lands. Ekpa is not my follower.
“He cannot say he is my follower or disciple. I condemn Simon Ekpa’s activities.
“I never sanctioned any sit-at-home declared by Ekpa. IPOB never authorised or sanctioned it. Go about your normal business and disregard the threats by Ekpa. He is one of the people who do not want peace in our region. Ekpa is not working for me or IPOB.”
Demand for Ekpa's arrest: Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, Global Coalition Security Democracy, has written a petition demanding the arrest and prosecution of Ekpa.
The group also asked the Finnish Government to deport Ekpa to pay for his crimes in Nigeria.
The petition, titled, ‘Stop Simon Ekpa and Others from Killing the Igbos and Others in South-East Nigeria over Sit-at-Home,’ had been signed by over 1,000 persons as of press time.