Senate Tells Tinubu How To Extradite Simon Ekpa
The Senate has asked the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government to work with the Finnish government to extradite self-acclaimed Biafran leader, Simon Ekpa to face the law over the ongoing sit-at-home crisis in the South-East region.
SaharaReporters reports that since the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared a sit-at-home protest against the continued detention of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in September 2021, sit-at-home has been observed on Mondays and other days Kanu’s case comes to court.
Although the State Directorate of IPOB has cancelled the Monday sit-at-home order, residents of the South-East have continued to observe the order. Political leaders have decried that the order is suffocating the economy of the southeast.
However, Simon Ekpa who claimed to be a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu has faulted some of the leaders of IPOB for announcing the cancellation of the sit-at-home without the release of Kanu by the Nigerian government, branding them “traitors”.
Ekpa has now declared a 14-day sit-at-home in South-East to continue to press the government to release their leader.
However, the senate in a motion, sponsored by Senator Osita Osinazu, Imo State, and co-sponsored by all senators from the South-East, condemned the sit-at-home and urged the federal government to find a lasting solution to it.
The Senate expressed concern that the sit-at-home order was causing economic harm to the region and was disrupting the lives of innocent people.
They also condemned the violence associated with the sit-at-home order, including the killing of Ahmad Gulak, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber insisted that “Something must be done urgently.”
Seconding the motion, Senator Gbenga Daniel, Ogun, described the sit-at-home as a national problem that affected commercial activities in the region.
Daniel maintained that since the sit-at-home was being made in the zone “where giant strides are being made. If commercial activities are being shut down, it’s indeed a national problem.
“While several people have fallen victim, I recall my good friend Ahmad Gulak was shot by people enforcing this sit-at-home order.”
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe adding to the discourse, said his state (Abia State) is “the epicenter” of the malaise.
He said the matter of sit-at-home started in August 2021 when the agitation group insisted on sit-at-home because the DSS arrested their leader.
He said when the criminal angle began, “IPOB said they are no longer in support of sit-at-home.”
The President of the Senate, Goodwill Akpabio, said it’s a national issue that has affected people who used to travel long distances to conduct economic activities in the zone.
“This must stop,” Akpabio said.
