• Activities of Dokubo, Ekpa threat to Igbo nation –Ohanaeze
From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja and Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Senate has called for extradition of Simon Ekpa, factional leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) back to Nigeria from Finland to face the law.
In the motion sponsored by Osita Izunaso and co-sponspored by all senators from the South East, yesterday, it called for an end to the sit-at-home which has bred unrest in the region.
Following detention of Kanu, leader of the pro-Biafra group, Ekpa has been calling for sit-at-home to protest his continued detention.
In his lead debate, Izunaso listed the level of economic losses recorded in the South-East due to the illegal directive in which residents are ordered to remain indoors while commercial and government establishments are compelled to shut down on Mondays.
He informed the Senate that since the introduction of the illegal order, thousands of innocent lives have been lost and properties worth over a trillion naira have been destroyed which has forced investors to flee from the region.
Izunaso drew attention of his colleagues to the effect of the sit-at-home civil disobedience actions that has crippled economic activities and led to huge financial losses for businesses, workers and the local economy, because when people are forced to stay at home and businesses shut, productivity decline and income is reduced, thereby affecting livelihoods and economic growth.
The lawmaker warned that if the unlawful and heinous activities of Ekpa continued unchecked, he may succeed in corrupting the minds of Nigerian youths and make them rebel against government which is tantamount to treasonable felony.
Senator Gbenga Daniel, who seconded the motion, said activities of Ekpa was a national problem, which is affecting commercial activities in the South East zone.
“This is a national problem and it is a common knowledge that for our nation to progress we need to improve local production and we all know that our South East brothers are the major producers of local items in our country which have become international standard and this has been affected.
“A number of people have fallen victim (of the sit-at-home). I recall my good friend, Ahmad Gulak, was shot by people enforcing this sit-at-home order. Innocent people have lost their lives and this must be stopped.”
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe from Abia State, said his state was the epicentre of the malaise. He recalled that the matter of sit-at-home started in August 2021 when the agitation group, IPOB, insisted on going on sit-at-home because its leader was arrested by the DSS. He said when the criminal angle began, IPOB said they were no longer in support of sit-at-home. He said criminals took over to kill, maim and commit all sorts of evil.
He further revealed that during a visit to Kanu in DSS custody, he dissociated himself from the sit-at-home and denied knowing or authorising Ekpa to act in the way he was doing. “There’s no one in the South East who supports sit-at-home. This is beyond the citizenry. What the criminals have done is to use terror tactics to intimidate the public.”
He added that the DSS confirmed it was activities of few people who come out to shoot people, dispossess them of their belongings and run to hide.
Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State, labeled its enforcers as criminals.
“As governor, we had cases like this but we flushed them out. These boys have caused an industrial problem. The South East has lost a lot because of the atrocities of these boys. The solution lies with the governors. These boys live in the bush and governors must work together. All the manufacturers in Aba are down; this is pure criminality.”
Senator Francis Onyewuchi challenged South East governors to deploy their security votes to fight the menace while Senator Ifeanyi Ubah advocated community policing and urged South East governors to strengthen local vigilance.
The presiding officer and Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, said it was a national issue, which has affected people who used to travel long distances to conduct economic activities in the zone.
“This must stop,” Akpabio said.
Worried by the development, the Senate said something must be done urgently. Accordingly, amongst other resolutions, it condemned the sit at home in totality as well as the nefarious activities of Ekpa, the gang leader; urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the Finnish government and extradite him for prosecution; called on the federal and state government and security agencies to use technology to track down the criminals and bring them to book; observed a minute of silence for those who lost their lives to the criminals enforcing the order and invite the minister of foreign affairs (when appointed) and relevant stakeholders to carry out thorough investigation as well as bring other sponsors of the act to book.
•Ohaneze knocks Dokubo, Ekpa
Meanwhile, Ohaneze Ndigbo has decried the activities of Asari Dokubo and Ekpa, saying they were threat to the Igbo nation.
Speaking at Azumini in Ukwa East Local Government of Abia State, Secretary General of the group, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, said activities of both men were capable of putting not only Igboland but Nigeria in great danger if not checked.
He accused Dokubo among others of training large army at a location close to Igboland.
“We have a video clip of Asari Dokubo who is close to the Igbo nation, amassing and training soldiers. Dokubo’s army and their training ground are close to the Igbo nation”.
He said going by Dokubo’s utterances in recent times, there was no doubt he may unleash his army against the Igbo nation at the slightest provocation.
Condemning Ekpa’s activities, the Ohaneze scribe said it was unfortunate that people who suffered three years of civil war would in the past two years be subjected to unnecessary sit-at-home with its attendant economic and security challenges.
Emuchay disclosed that sometime ago, he led a delegation of Ohaneze to Kanu at DSS detention camp and throughout their discussion, he never mentioned Ekpa which he said went a long way to indicate it was not he (Kanu) that sent Ekpa on his missions.
“Ekpa is doing his business. What he is doing has nothing to do with the release of Nnamdi Kanu. Some people have converted issues that concern Igbo nation into a cottage industry, a money making machine, but they must fail. At no time did the Igbo nation assign any duty to Ekpa for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu himself, about two years ago, asked that the issue of sit-at-home should stop, so, those enforcing that are enemies of the people.”
Emuchay said since 90 percent of the Igbo were into buying and selling, telling them to sit-at-home was suicidal.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to investigateactivities of Dokubo with a view to stopping him from amassing private army close to Igbo nation. He equally called on the government at the centre to send emissaries to Finland to discuss with the Finnish government over what best should be done to Ekpa to stop his destructive activities.
“Ekpa is waging war against his country and the Federal Government should do something for the government of Finland to call him to order. Nobody gave him any assignment.”