Nnamdi Kanu issues Simon Ekpa with direct order to end sit-at-home protests across the southeast

INDIGENOUS People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu has instructed his self-styled successor Simon Ekpa who is currently operating out of Finland to  end the ongoing sit-at-home protests currently taking place across the southeast geo-political zone.

Mr Ekpa, who lives in Finland, has assumed the leadership of Ipob following the arrest of Mr Kanu and has since been at loggerheads with numerous Igbo organisations back in Nigeria. On July 3 for instance, he announced a one week sit-at-home commencing from despite the mainstream leadership of Ipob suspending the exercise after several groups, individuals and state governments condemned the action due to its economic implications.

Pan-Igbo group Ohanaeze Ndigbo has accused Mr Ekpa of declaring a second Biafra war in the southeast and increased the bounty on his head to $500,000 from the $50,000 which it placed on him in January this year. However, Mr Ekpa's calls have been very popular across the southeast and as such they have been ruthlessly enforced by the Eastern Security Network, Ipob's armed wing.

With the development diving opinion, Mr Kanu appears to have finally waded in and asked Mr Ekpa to stand down. Apparently, Mr Kanu also directed Mr Ekpa to stop antagonising the five governors from across the southeast and warned that anyone enforcing sit-at-home in the southeast is not his disciple and should be made to face the wrath of the law.

Aloy Ejimakor, Mr Kanu's lawyer, announced the directive, quoting his principal, saying that Mr Ekpa was given direct orders. Addressing journalists in Enugu, Mr Ejimakor quoted Mr Kanu as saying that Ipob wants to end all the current antagonism.

Mr Kanu said: “Simon, this is a direct order from me. I hereby instruct you to desist from calling for any sit-at-home henceforth. Equally, refrain from antagonising governors or persons in political positions because you are not in a position to know what they are doing on my behalf.

“I am ordering you to make a public announcement to the effect that you are in receipt of a direct order from me to cancel any pending sit-at-home in place at the moment. I embarked on this movement to liberate our people, not to enslave them.

"I despise and will despise any person or entity that wishes to inflict unnecessary hardship on our people. I have authorised Aloy to issue a press statement if you fail to make this announcement on your platform.

“Anybody still engaging in sit-at-home is not my disciple. Haters of Biafra and mindless murderers in uniform are hiding under the cover of combating enforcers of sit-at-home to unleash mayhem against the same people we swore to defend.

“I have sent countless messages to those purportedly enforcing sit-at-home that they are not doing so in my name. I am not begging anybody to release me, just that Nigeria should have the decency to obey their own laws.”