The lingering spate of violence in Nigeria’s Southeast region, allegedly orchestrated by Simon Ekpa of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is a cause for concern. He uses social media to incite violence and leads a faction within the IPOB, which is fighting to secede from Nigeria. Nnamdi Kanu leads the other faction.
Ekpa emerged following the federal government’s rearrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu in June 2021. Since then, he has been allegedly wreaking havoc in the Southeast with his frequent orders. Ekpa is reported to be instigating killings in Nigeria from his base in Finland.
Though the mainstream IPOB had since declared Ekpa, an Ebonyi State indigene who is based in Finland and his group as fake, he has continued to operate a network that appears to be too strong for Kanu’s IPOB to destroy. Ekpa’s men are alleged to be responsible for most of the attacks on police and military formations, as well as kidnapping and ritual killings in the region.
Recently, some Southeast leaders accused Ekpa, who ironically resides with his family in Finland, a country where the rule of law reigns, of encouraging anarchy here and goading some of the youths to their self-destruction.
“It is also a business for Ekpa, who pretends to be fighting for Igbo interests but does not know anything about them or have their interests at heart,” Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has said.
The Finnish government has continued to harbour the Biafra agitator while his foot soldiers kill many residents and destroy properties in the region. It is surprising that the Finnish government allows this man to reside in their country and then perpetrate crisis in Nigeria.
Through Ekpa’s statements and his actions, a lot of people have died, and he continues in that trajectory. So, this is a tragedy that we must all work as a country to end. He clearly doesn’t represent the Igbo interest.
The government needs to act swiftly to prevent further loss of lives and restore peace to the region. The fact that someone can incite violence from a foreign country is a threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty and should not be taken lightly.
For years, the Nigerian government has demanded drastic actions from the Finnish government and the European Union to stop Ekpa’s fiery social media activities fueling killings and instability in Nigeria’s South-east region.
Nigeria must not tolerate Ekpa’s excesses and the Finnish government’s indifference to the happenings in the Southeast. The trade volume between Nigeria and Finland is not significant enough to warrant Nigeria’s continued tolerance of this situation. The government may consider taking decisive action to protect its citizens and send a message to the international community that it will not condone any form of violence, whether domestic or foreign.
It is not enough for the Nigerian government to plead with the international community to hold Ekpa responsible. The government must do what it must to assert its integrity among the community of nations without sentiments.
This action should also include some African countries harbouring terrorists in their territories who use those places as base to cause mayhem in Nigeria. We call for a holistic approach to the issue of non-state actors using foreign countries as platforms to cause trouble in Nigeria.
It is from this perspective that we commend the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen, who recently said, during a press conference she addressed alongside her Nordic counterparts in Abuja, that Ekpa’s case was now before Finnish courts.
“We have taken this up and discussed this with the Nigerian authorities… and the entire process is within our judicial system,” Ms Valtomen said, informing the gathering that the issue came up during a meeting with Nigerian officials.
The government should work with the Finnish and other authorities to apprehend Ekpa and other characters and bring them to face the full wrath of the law in Nigeria. This will deter others from taking advantage of Nigeria’s fragile security situation.
Furthermore, the Nigerian government must address the root causes of the unrest in the Southeast. The government should engage with the region’s people and address their grievances. The government should also provide adequate security to protect lives and properties in the area.
The government must take a firm stand on the Ekpa and Southeast unrest. The government should not allow anyone to undermine its sovereignty and endanger the lives of its citizens
Nigeria needs peace and stability to attract foreign investment and achieve its development goals. The Southeast is losing its economic base, jobs and business opportunities. Enough is enough. The time to act is now.
