How Igbos Perceive Simon Ekpa, the IPOB’s Factional Leader
Simon Ekpa has been in the press for a variety of reasons, most notably his role in the Biafra agitation. He is accused of being behind a series of illegal sit-in protests that have resulted in deaths, injuries, economic losses, and the destruction of property throughout Igbo land due to their aggressive enforcement.
This is cause for concern because the IPoB and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have always denied the sit-at-home orders issued by Ekpa and his colleagues.
The key question is whether Ekpa is working with or against Kanu and IPoB. The latest call by Ekpa and his group for an illegal five-day sit-in appears to be the height of irresponsibility, prompting Ohanaeze Ndigbo to call Ekpa out, asking if he is a hero or a villain, and also urging some prominent personalities from his Ohaukwu Council Area and Ebonyi State in general, to call him to order.
Ohanaeze bemoaned the fact that Ekpa and his group illegally called for a five-day sit-in, expressing concern about the disruptive behaviour of Igbo youngsters who, in their paradise, believe they are making both name and cheap money, but in reality, they are creating trenches for themselves.
“Ohanaeze asks how someone who declares himself a leader will not seek the opinion of his people or consider their goals and political barometer before going berserk.
”It is noteworthy that, despite the fact that the mainstream IPoB, led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has long distanced itself from the Monday sit-at-home, Mondays have remained sacred in most regions of the South-East.
”As a result, it is both incomprehensible and irreconcilable for people like Simon Ekpa to consider more days of the sit-at-home or what he calls “under lock and key” in the name of Biafra.”
“We, therefore, pose a question to Mr. Ekpa, as to whether he is a hero or a villain?
“The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Prof. George Obiozor, and indeed all well-meaning sons and daughters of Igbo land, with all sense of responsibility, hereby call on the Regent of Umueziaka community, Mr. Simon Ekpa’s home; the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Hon. Ikechukwu Odono; the member representing Ohaukwu South in the State Assembly, Hon.
IPOB had previously disowned Simon Ekpa, accusing him and his group, Autopilot, of carrying out criminal activities in the South-East region in the name of IPOB.
The spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, has on many occasions made it clear that genuine IPOB members struggling for the State of Biafra, never engage in killing the very people they claim to be liberating from marginalisation.
Distancing itself from Ekpa’s five-day sit-at-home order, IPOB described it as “mischievous” and “anti-Biafra.” Speaking through Emma Powerful, IPOB called on residents of the South-East region to ignore the order.
“IPoB never issued any sit-at-home order because we are not miscreants, senseless, or jobless people.” Every Biafran resident in Biafra land should ignore such an order from untrained and brainless individuals whose agenda is to make Biafra agitation unattractive to our people.
”Every Biafran must go about their normal businesses. IPOB which is concerned about our people cannot issue such a brainless and uncaring five-day consecutive sit-at-home order to suffer our people during this critical time of the year.
“The conception of a five-day consecutive sit-at-home order is to show the level of wickedness and hatred they have against our people.
”Their agenda is to create insecurity and unnecessary hardship. Our people should be prepared and ready to confront any fool who dares to enforce such wicked sit-at-home.
”Moreover, ESN operatives and IPoB volunteers will be out on these dates to protect our people and the markets.”
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother, accused Ekpa of being a paid agent, claiming that his activities and approach to agitation for Biafra plainly identified him as a paid agent.
“It defies conception that someone who purports to be working for the cause of Ndigbo can engage in acts that are harmful to the same people,” Prince Kanu says.
He claimed that Ekpa could not claim to be a champion of the Biafra cause while making life hard and miserable for the people.
Emmanuel Kanu said: “There is no doubt he is working for some people because no true blooded Igbo will do something to jeopardize the lives of Igbo people.
“Onyendu (IPOB leader), has always said that he cannot take a life because he doesn’t give life. So, why will people take other people’s lives?
“Why will you kill the same people you say you are fighting to protect? It doesn’t make sense. It is just obvious that Ekpa is working for some people to destroy what Onyendu has built over the years. Why would he give a sit-at-home order? Under whose authority will he do that?
“My brother told me clearly that he did not authorise any person or group to place an order for sit-at-home. So, why do that? Who is he doing it to impress? It is only a paid agent that will behave the way he does.”
On his part, Professor Obasi Igwe posited that Ekpa is working for enemies of Ndigbo
Obasi Igwe, a famous academic and political science professor, criticised Simon Ekpa and his disruptive actions in Igbo country, claiming that he is financed by those who do not desire the Igbo well.
Prof. Igwe exonerates IPOB from Ekpa’s wicked acts, claiming that IPoB has just one leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. He stated that Ekpa’s activities are incompatible with IPoB and Ndigbo, and he characterised Ekpa’s pursuit as infantile.
“There is only one IPoB known to the world, and it is headed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. IPoB is unarmed and peaceful; except its opposition to the activities of Fulani terrorists; they’ve severally assured us of commitment to the campaigns and elections; and had long cancelled the sit-at-homes. What Simon Ekpa is doing is both against the IPoB that people know, the Igbo as a people, as well as all civilized mankind. It is now almost certain that Ekpa is being sponsored by those who do not wish the Igbo well.
Only a stupid general turns his home front to war zone —Prof. Opata
Professor Damian Opata, President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nsukka Council Area chapter, also responded, saying that only a dumb war general transforms his home front into a battleground.
He encouraged Ekpa to reconsider his strategy and look for methods to defend the Igbo people if he truly loved them. He stated that the majority of individuals agitating for Biafra secession are unaware of what Biafra symbolises.
Opata, a Professor of African Fiction, denounced the factional leader of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, for his constant statement of “sit-at-home,” stressing that it was unethical to inflict agony on the people.
Opata said: “When Biafra struggle was ideal and led by the best intellects and technologists, not self-seeking individuals, things like this didn’t happen.
”Most of those fighting for Biafra today do not know what Biafra was. Those who fought for Biafra in the time of Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu were thinkers and researchers who found ways that were productive for the liberation of the people. It is only a stupid war general or strategist that turns his home into a war front.”
In a similar spirit, Professor Charles Chinekezi, Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Aba Unit, tasked leaders of the South-East zone not to allow Simon Ekpa to provoke more crises that could aggravate the security situation in the region. Ekpa, according to Chinekezi, is intent on instilling panic and promoting crises in the region.
Chinekezi said, “Simon Ekpa is overstepping his bounds. He is insane, highly irresponsible, and hell-bent on creating fear, fostering crisis in the South-East, and halting Nigeria’s march toward genuine democracy.
”Leaders of the South-East zone should not allow Ekpa to cause more crises and aggravate the already tense security situation in the zone.
“All of us are stakeholders in the South-East and Nigeria project. So, what stops Ekpa from pursuing dialogue in whatever idea he is advocating?
”They said he is educated, he ought to have shown this in his conduct, but I am yet to see him display the qualities of an educated person. He appears to be a man who thrives in crisis.
“Ekpa is clearly swimming against the tide of the South-East by inflicting hardship on the same people he wants to liberate.”
The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, led by former Anambra governor Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, was also outraged by Ekpa and his group’s actions and advised inhabitants of the region to oppose their commands. They called Ekpa’s five-day sit-at-home edict the pinnacle of insensitivity to the region’s predicament.
“The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has always believed that some faceless individuals in government and other unpatriotic elements who do not wish Ndigbo well, and have been working hard with evil collaborators to truncate the scheduled 2023 general elections in the South-East are behind the purported sit-at-home order in the zone, ” Ezeife said.
Professor Okee Okoro on his part insisted that it’s high time IPOB talked to themselves.
Professor Okee Okoro of Imo State University’s Department of Library and Information Science in Owerri urged the IPOB leadership to come together and talk to the various groups in order for peace to prevail.
His words: “It’s high time IPOB started talking to themselves. Nobody is too sure again who is saying what. Who is issuing these instructions? Simon Ekpa says something and IPoB will say a different thing. We are now noticing that the house is divided.
“We also know that the sit-at-home order to all intents and purposes, is injurious to our people; nobody is happy about it anymore. If you want something done, let it be done with a motive, but when it comes to the point of taking lives, it becomes deceitful.”
Former Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe described Simon Ekpa as an economic saboteur to the people of the south-east.
He said: “Ekpa is an economic saboteur masquerading as freedom fighter.” Our economy has been grounded by the incessant sit-at-home orders by Ekpa.
“He is no longer talking about the release of Nnamdi Kanu; his focus now is to destroy the little economy remaining in the South-East.”
For Igboezue International Association Nigeria and the Diaspora, IIAND, the role of Simon Ekpa in the agitation for Biafra should be thoroughly investigated to know why all of a sudden, he seems to be turning the agitation against Ndigbo.
President-General of IIAND, Chief Pius Okoye urged all the elder statesmen from Ebonyi State to call him to order.
Ndigbo United Forum, NUF, Worldwide, through Hon. Chinedu Mba, decried the activities of Ekpa and his group, saying: “Those declaring and enforcing sit-at-home in Igbo land do not mean well for Ndigbo.” Christian Okeke said it is obvious that Ekpa’s days are numbered, as he believes that sooner rather than later, the law will catch up with him.
“Ekpa is the real enemy of the Igbo. How can he be happy when his people at home are suffering as a result of his pronouncements and he will be praising himself that he is the brain behind his people’s problems?”
You can read more of such stories at Credible News.
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However, residents of Anambra State urged security operatives to intensify their efforts in protecting the people from those who often put fear in them through frightening statements.
April 17,2022, the Igbo Group in Germany sued Simon Ekpa for allegedly sponsoring terrorism in South-East.
A group of Igbos in Germany named as Overseas Igbo Federation, initiated a lawsuit against Ekpa for financing terrorism activities in Anambra and Imo States.
Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed follower of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, located in Finland, has been accused of supporting terrorism in South-East Nigeria.
A group of Igbos in Germany named as Overseas Igbo Federation, initiated a lawsuit against Ekpa for financing terrorism activities in Anambra and Imo States.
The lawsuit was filed to the National Prosecution Authority, Office of the Prosecutor General of Finland, where Ekpa resides.
Meanwhile, the suit’s specifics remain unknown because just the front page of the paper was provided.
On Thursday, December 8, 2022, the Concerned Igbo Youth issued a press release encouraging the residents of Nigeria’s South East zone to disobey the “illogical decree” and go about their daily business.
The release, signed by its President, Hon. Okonkwo Obinna, and Secretary, Hon. Prince Chilaka, and made available to our reporter, urged Mr Ekpa to return home from Finland, where he is supposedly hiding, and face reality in Nigeria.
“We as an Igbo youth group, in the interest of the common good of all Igbos, regardless of religious beliefs, creed, or political linings, wish to state unequivocally that we are completely opposed to the sit-at-home order issued by one Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra” (IPOB).
“We make daring to proclaim that, no one in the South East should obey such stupid order as it is not in any way advantageous to the socio-economic, political, and spiritual demands of our people, rather it is callous, insensitive, and irrational.”
“Mr. Simon Ekpa should return to Nigeria from Finland, where he is hiding, and take the lead. Enough of inconsiderate directives that do not alleviate our people’s miseries from every Dick and Harry.”
IGBOs in Finland, America and Europe have said that Simon Ekpa is just acting a script handed to him by haters of Southeast to destroy Properties, lives and scare investors out of Southeast.
Simon Ekpa and his IPOB splinter group have completely transformed the Southeast Geopolitical Zone into a lethal and dangerous zone.
Tens of individuals are killed, kidnapped, and maimed every week by the IPOB organisation commanded by Simon Ekpa.
Simon Ekpa is being utilised to turn Igbo land into a second Somalia. He continues to exhort his followers to demolish, burn, and kill Igbo people who do not support his violent movement.
IGBOs in Finland, America, and Europe must urge the EU and the Finnish government to prosecute Ekperima Ekpa.
We have lost billions of Naira in homes, goods, and markets as a result of Simon Ekperima Ekpa’s Autopilot operations.
Meanwhile, Aloy Ejimakor, Nnamdi Kanu’s legal counsel, claimed the IPOB leader expressed regret over the attacks and offered compassion for the victims during a visit to Kanu in DSS arrest on Monday.
“With tremendous regret, he got news of the staggered attacks of the last several days around the South-East, including the one at my hometown,” Ejimakor added.
“He requested me to firmly denounce the acts on his behalf and extend his comfort to all the victims.”
Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel, also criticised the attacks in the same story, saying Ekpa had acted like a “paid agent.”
“Whatever happened was completely wrong,” Emmanuel stated. There was no order given by IPOB’s head.
“It defies my comprehension that someone who purports to be working for the cause of Ndigbo will engage in acts that are harmful to the same people.
“There is no question he is working for some individuals because no true-blooded Igbo will do something to imperil the lives of Igbo people. The leader has consistently stated that he cannot take a life because he does not give life. So, why do people take the life of others?
“Why will you kill the ones you claim to be fighting for? It makes no sense. It is clear that Ekpa is working for someone to demolish everything the leader has created over the years. Why would he issue a sit-at-home directive? Who will give him that authority?
“My brother (Nnamdi Kanu) stated unequivocally that he did not authorise any individual or group to command sit-at-home. So, why would you do that? Who is he attempting to impress? “Only a paid agent will behave in this manner,” Emmanuel concluded.
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