By Ebere Inyama, TruthNigeria
The frequent attacks and killing of security operatives and civilians in the southeastern part of Nigeria by gunmen has been blamed on the 2003 African Junior Silver medalist and ex-soldier in the Finnish Army, Simon Ekpa.
Ekpa, is famous in Nigeria as an exiled promoter of the separationist movement known as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which aims to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra, a country which seceded from Nigeria in 1967, prior to the Nigerian Civil War and was subsequently dissolved following its defeat in 1970. He is also known for his controversial call for Biafran weekly work strikes and commercial moratoriums known colloquially as “Sit at home,” despite contrary orders from IPOB leadership.
A native of Ebonyi state, Ekpa reportedly has won three athletic medals for Nigeria, including the 100 meters silver medal at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships in Cameroon.
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah expressed concern over insecurity in the south-east and accused Ekpa of masterminding the killing of Southeasterners and security operatives in the region. Addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on July 20, 2024, the Governor said: “As you may also have noticed recently, they have continued to make attempts, particularly, that megalomaniac (Ekpa), who ironically resides with his family peacefully in Finland, a country where the rule of law reigns, but he encourages anarchy here and to goad some of our youths to their self-destruction.
“This is also a business for him (Ekpa), pretending to be fighting for Igbo’s interest, but he does not know anything about the Igbo or have their interest at heart.
“He (Ekpa) creates some kind of siege atmosphere and thrives on it to make a living, continuing to extort and exploit our people, who may not be aware and telling them that he is fighting for their interest.”
The Governor expressed displeasure that the Finnish government has continued to harbor the Biafra agitator while his foot soldiers kill many residents and destroy properties in the region and asked the Finnish lawmakers to consider repatriating Ekpa to Nigeria for prosecution.
“It is surprising that the Finnish government allows this man to reside peacefully in their country and then perpetrate terrorism in Nigeria.
“And I think this is something your committee may have to wade into and see how this guy can be repatriated and then be brought to justice.
“Through his (Ekpa) statements and his actions, a lot of people have died and he continues in that trajectory. So, this is a tragedy that we must all work as a country to end. He doesn’t represent the Igbo interest,” Mbah said.
Ekpa Replies to Governor Mbah, Threatens To Unleash “Madness” In The Southeast
Reacting to the accusations by Governor Mbah, Mr. Ekpa, via a post on his X handle on Sunday morning, alleged that Mbah was among those killing Southeast residents but did not deny or admit the allegations of terrorism and murder against him.
He claimed the Governor was simply expressing fear for the next sit-at-home order which he (Ekpa) and his group will declare shortly in the region.
“The killers of Biafra people are in serious panic again over our upcoming sit-at-home. They have activated again,” he wrote on the microblogging platform, in response to the governor’s remark.
“They will see our madness in the coming days,” he threatened.
A Mole in the IPOB
In an exclusive interview with TruthNigeria, a member of the IPOB based in South Africa, who identified himself as “Onyenso,” said that by the time IPOB leader Chika Edoziem called off the Mondays’ sit–at–home demonstrations, it was too late.
“By the time Chika Edoziem cancelled the Monday sit–at–home demonstrations, Simon Ekpa had hijacked the internal machinery of the IPOB, connived with some key officials of the group and collected all the funds in their bank accounts,” Onyenso said to TruthNigeria.
“Ekpa, proclaimed himself as ‘Prime Minister of the Biafra Government in Exile (BRGIE)’, and went on air to announce that the Monday sit–at–homes should continue despite its annulment by the IPOB central command.
“The IPOB central command expelled him but could not recover the funds from him. He used part of the money to commence the recruitment of dozens of followers whose job is to enforce the already suspended sit–at–home order.
“But the problem with Ekpa’s ideology lies in its implementation. Most of the people he recruited and armed were fugitives who escaped from Owerri prisons in April, 2021.
“They were neither trained nor provided well-defined welfare packages. Ekpa devised a means of sending money and other items to them, and their job is to attack people who come out on Mondays for business.
“It is possible that these fugitives are behind the frequent attack on security personnel in the southeast,” he said.
Kanu Appointed Ekpa While In DSS Custody
The lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu (the detained IPOB leader), Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had announced on July 8, 2021 that Kanu instructed him to notify Biafran agitators all over the world that Simon Ekpa should be allowed to broadcast on Radio Biafra (an online radio platform through which the IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) reaches out to its members).
With Kanu’s extraordinary rendition in 2021, and detention at the DSS facility in Abuja, the leadership of the IPOB was taken over by his second–in–command, Mr. Chika Edoziem.
Two weeks after Kanu was put in detention by the Department Of State Security (DSS), Abuja, Edoziem issued an order, directing pro-Biafra agitators in the Southeast and Southsouth geopolitical zones (territories that made up the defunct Biafra nation of 1967 to 1970) to embark on civil disobedience by refusing to go out from their homes on Mondays.
This was done in a bid to compel the Nigerian government to release the detained IPOB leader.
The sit–at–home order was widely obeyed by the pro–Biafran agitators in the Southeast, prompting the federal government of Nigeria to persuade Kanu, to issue a directive stopping subsequent Monday sit-at-home demonstrations in the region.
Ebere Inyama is an Imo State-based Conflict Reporter for TruthNigeria