Ohanaeze Ndigbo officials call for Simon Ekpa's arrest over his Biafra referendum request

OHANAEZE Ndigbo officials have called for the arrest and prosecution of self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Simon Ekpa saying his recent calls for a referendum of Biafra are a crime against the southeast geo-political zone.

Mr Ekpa, who lives in Finland, has assumed the leadership of Ipob following the arrest of Nnamdi 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.

Ohanaeze 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. Now, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo secretary-general has expressed the organisation's  resolve to capture Mr Ekpa and bring him to justice for his crimes against the southeast.

According to Mazi Isiguzoro, Mr Ekpa's recent call for a referendum congress on the state of Biafra was concerning.  Earlier this month, Mazi Isiguzoro, called on President Bola Tinubu to deploy soldiers to every corner of the southeast, to combat the enforced sit-at-home exercises.

Mazi Isiguzoro said: “Ekpa’s self-proclaimed role as the prime minister of the Biafra government in exile and his declaration of a Biafra referendum is deeply concerning. Such actions have the potential to ignite civil unrest and chaos in southeast Nigeria.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo, together with southeast political leaders, remains resolute in capturing Simon Ekpa and bringing him to justice. The ongoing search for Ekpa is a preventive measure aimed at averting the upcoming sit-at-home disruptions.”