The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has asked the Federal Government to make use of Nigeria’s diplomatic relationship with Finland to extradite Biafran agitator and IPOB factional leader, Simon Ekpa, whom the military has accused of undermining the work of security officers in the Southeastern part of the country.
The Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, who made the appeal in an interview with Punch on Wednesday, stated that everyone was concerned with the deteriorating security situation in the Southeast region following lockdown imposed by the factional leader of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Secretary General of Ohanaeze, said Ohanaeze was pleased that the Chief of Defence Staff,General Christopher Musa made a public pronouncement on the matter of Ekpa at the hearing of the House of Representatives, adding that it tells the story as to what they have been saying all along.
His words, “This morning, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and myself, we have discussed it, and then as you know, everybody, all the stakeholders in the South East, the governors, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leadership of Ohanaeze, everybody is concerned about the security situation in the South-East.
“So, the statement yesterday at the hearing of the House of Representatives tells the story as to what we have been saying all along. It is a matter for the Federal Government of Nigeria to handle, as Ohanaeze or the states in the South-East are subordinate to the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government has a diplomatic relationship with Finland, they (Finland) have an embassy in Abuja, and that diplomatic channel is what Ohanaeze is asking to be activated. Ohanaeze is very pleased that the Chief of Defence Staff made a public pronouncement on the matter of Simon Ekpa and we are happy with it.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, had on Tuesday accused the Finland-based Ekpa of sabotaging the activities of security agents in the South-East.
Musa, who spoke when he led the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to appear before the House of Representatives in Abuja, had declared that “Simon Ekpa is sabotaging our efforts in the South-East,” adding that the agitator was taking shield in faraway Finland.
He urged the Federal Government to engage the Finnish government and possibly invite its ambassador to Nigeria over the activities of the agitator.
