Simon Ekpa was never our member – IPOB

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Ekpa was arrested in Finland alongside four others on Thursday on suspicion of terrorist activities.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has disowned the controversial pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, maintaining that he was never a member of the group.

Emma Powerful, the spokesperson of the IPOB, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Ekpa was arrested in Finland alongside four others on Thursday on suspicion of terrorist activities.

‘Not registered member’

The BBC, while reporting Mr Ekpa’s arrest by Finnish police on Thursday, described him as an IPOB leader.

But Mr Powerful in the Friday statement said the pro-Biafra agitator was never registered as a member of the IPOB.

“Simon Ekpa was never and is not an IPOB member, let alone being a leader in IPOB. IPOB has some family units in Finland, and Simon Ekpa is not a registered member of any IPOB unit in Finland or any other IPOB unit globally,” he said.

Continuing, the spokesperson said, “IPOB is by this press release calling on BBC News and Finnish authorities to note that Simon Ekpa has never had and does not have any relationship whatsoever with IPOB in Finland or any other unit globally.

“He should not be associated with IPOB because IPOB does not support the violent agitation that he represents.”

‘Ekpa not passionate for Biafra course’

Mr Powerful suggested that unlike Mr Ekpa and his “group”, IPOB remains a “peaceful group” committed to the independence of Biafra from Nigeria.

He argued that the separatist group had never resorted to violence despite repeated provocations by Nigerian security forces.

“It was unfortunate that some innocent Biafrans, being passionate for the restoration of the stolen sovereignty of the Biafran Nation, thought that Simon Ekpa was genuinely sympathetic to the Biafra course.

“Sadly, they had to learn the hard way that he was a destructive agent paid to infiltrate and destroy the IPOB peaceful movement for Biafra self-determination,” he said.

Mr Powerful said Mr Ekpa, since 2021, recruited violent criminals to destabilise south-east Nigeria.

He noted that the pro-Biafra agitator is a self-acclaimed prime minister of the Biafra Government in Exile (BGIE) under which he created the Biafra Liberation Army.

“They (BGIE) have perpetuated various violent acts against the civilian populace of the Eastern Region in the name of Biafra agitation,” the spokesperson said.

Mr Powerful contended that the Nigerian government and politicians “that contracted” Mr Ekpa had been linking his violent crimes to IPOB “to blackmail and demonise” the separatist group.

“No person, group, or institution should link Simon Ekpa and his group to IPOB except such person, group, institution, or government is part of the grand plan and conspiracy to perpetually subjugate the Biafran people to a life of servitude and misery,” he said.

Is Ekpa truly an IPOB member?

Before now, Mr Ekpa often addressed himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader.

He was a member of Mr Kanu-led IPOB and had been announced as the director of the group’s pirate radio channel, Radio Biafra, to replace Mr Kanu after his rearrest and detention by the Nigerian government in 2021.

But shortly after his appointment, IPOB announced Mr Ekpa’s disengagement due to his alleged refusal to sign rules of engagement in the operation of the radio station.

The group broadcasts the ideology of the former breakaway republic, Biafra, through the pirate station, where they usually spew inciting messages and propaganda against the Nigerian government.

Irked by his removal from the position, Mr Ekpa formed Autopilot, a faction of IPOB.

In one X post, he claimed that the formation of IPOB Autopilot was sanctioned by Mr Kanu in 2020 before he (Mr Ekpa) “activated it” in 2021.

“The kidnapping of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu gave birth to IPOB Autopilot…” Mr Ekpa explained via an X post, then called Twitter.

The pro-Biafra agitator later declared himself as the prime minister of the BGIE and formed the Biafra Liberation Army, an armed militant group linked to attacks and killings in the South-east.

Mr Ekpa has repeatedly claimed responsibility for various attacks and killings in the region.