*He after talks between Nigwrian and Finish government – Finish Embassy spokesman

* As Ohanaeze claims Ekpa was paid $1m to destroy Obi 

By Daniel Tyokua and Ada Okafor

The Republic of Finland has confirmed the arrest and detention of Barr. Simon Njoku Ekpa, the violent leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Autopilot Group whose gunmen have been enforcing bloody sit-at-home and the 2023 general election boycott.

Ekpa, who had already declared another sit-at-home beginning from Thursday February 23, 2023, enforces his proclamations through the so-called “Unknown Gunmen” who have been unleashing violence in the South-East zone of the country.

Activities of Ekpa’s unknown gunmen have led to the killing of several prominent and ordinary Igbo citizens and kidnapping for ransom, including non-Igbo and even operatives of security forces.

Ekpa was arrested in his home in Finland by security operatives, who stormed his home and whisked him off.

According to Jussi Ala-Lahti, Advisor of the Finnish Embassy, Abuja, “the image (Picture of Ekpa) is verified by Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper. 

“In the picture, Ekpa is seen being escorted out of his home in Lathi by Finnish Police officers in plainclothes.”

He added that the arrest may be linked to the on-going cooperation between Finland and Nigeria on the activities of Ekpa.

The Abuja Finnish Embassy Advisor said: “Finland and Nigeria have discussed the situation, and Finnish and Nigerian authorities are cooperating on the matter. 

“The Embassy cannot however, comment in public on the content of the cooperation.”  

Ekpa had threatened that any person in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria that tries to participate or vote in the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled to hold on Saturday February 25 will be ruthlessly dealt with by his blood thirsty men.

The ‘Unknown Gunmen’ is a dangerous armed militia responsible for the deaths of several people and even public officials in the South-East.

It is a group founded by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) through its armed wing, the Eastern  Security Network (ESN), which had inflicted pain and spilled several innocent blood in that part of the country.

Ekpa, a co-director of Radio Biafra and a known disciple of Mai Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader, rose to prominence in July 2021 after he was announced as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra.

The Finland-based was appointed to replace Kanu following the re-arrest of the IPOB leader by the federal government and his rendition from Kenya.

After some weeks, IPOB announced Ekpa’s disengagement, citing his refusal to sign the rules of engagement of Radio Biafra. 

Since then, he formed the “Autopilot” faction which is said to control the major armed wing and IPOB activities in the South-East.

Just yesterday (Thursday) evening, Barr. Oyibo Chukwu, the Enugu-East senatorial candidate of the Labour Party and four of his supporters were shot and had the vehicle they were travelling in burnt by unknown gunmen said to be sponsored by Ekpa in Nkanu.

Other forms of violence were attributed to the Ekpa faction of the IPOB, including the lengthy sit-at-home declared by them against the conduct of the 2023 general elections in the zone.  *Ekpa paid $1m to destroy Obi  – Ohanaeze

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organisation in Igboland, has urged Simon Ekpa to return the $1million he allegedly collected from his paymasters, to tarnish the chances of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in the 2023 presidential election.

According to the group, Ekpa would be hunted across the world to pay for the atrocities he has committed against the South-East geopolitical zone.

It further observed that the leader of the splitter group of the IPOB was acting the script of those who were opposed to a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction.

The Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Comrade Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said this during an interview with The PUNCH, on Tuesday.

He said, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has cautioned one Simon Ifeanyi Njoku Ekpa to return the funds he collected with the evil intent to destroy the prospects of the Labour Party to win the 2023 presidential election on February 25, 2023.

“Intelligence reports have it that Simon Ekpa became frightened that his secrets have been uncovered and he quickly retreated and withdrew his response to the $50,000 bounty placed on him and has been begging Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the last 24 hours through the third-parties to reconsider and review the sanctions as well as drop the bounty placed on him.

“Ndigbo’s response to Simon Ekpa’s plea is that he should return the $1m to the disfavoured and unpopular presidential candidate he’s working with. He must quickly return all he had collected (to his paymasters) in other to destroy the support base of Peter Obi through his old-fashioned mantra of, ‘No Election in Biafra Land’, and rescind his intentions to declare a four-day sit-at-home from 22nd to 26th of February 2023 with a view to disrupt the 2023 presidential elections in the South-East.

“Ndigbo will resist every attempt by Simon Ekpa to scare away voters in the South-East and South-South through his planned four-day sit-at-home. Our suspicion was reinforced after Ekpa asked for forgiveness and we knew that his plans to boycott the elections in southeastern Nigeria were to stop ‘ObiDient’ devotees from voting for Peter Obi and lessen the strength of the South-East.

“The 2023 presidential elections must hold in the South-East, and Ndigbo must vote for whoever is their choice at the polls. Simon Ekpa must pay back all that he has amassed from the enemies of Ndigbo, stop his killer squad in southeastern Nigeria, show remorseful repentance and apologise for the inconveniences caused by his rantings and crooked falsehoods about Ndigbo.

“Except he abides by this conditions, Ndigbo will smoke him out of his hideouts at Finland and Europe, as Ndigbo and Nigerians in Finland and Europe have responded positively on the $50,000 bounty placed on him.

“It’s a matter of time, Simon Ifeanyi Njoku Ekpa will be apprehended, and his extradition to Nigeria will happen shortly so that he can answer all the crimes and killings he instigated in the South-East”.