The Finland-based Nigerian and his ‘Auto-Pilot’ group had declared Thursday, May 26 as sit-at-home for the people of the region despite its cancellation by IPOB.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused Simon Ekpa of working with politicians, the Department of State Services, military authorities and others to destabilise South-East Nigeria.
The Finland-based Nigerian and his ‘Auto-Pilot’ group had declared Thursday, May 26 as sit-at-home for the people of the region despite its cancellation by IPOB.
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, rose to prominence in July 2021, after he was announced as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra.
Speaking exclusively with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Emma Powerful, IPOB’s spokesperson said Ekpa was never a member of the group.
Powerful accused him of working with politicians and security agencies to kill “innocent citizens of Biafra, snatch their cars and kidnap our people in order to collect ransom.”
He said some of those working with Ekpa were criminals sacked by IPOB for not abiding by the group’s rule.
“Simon Ekpa is not an IPOB member since the beginning, I have said it several times. What he is doing is to settle his paymasters. Do Simon Ekpa and his autopilot initiates observe sit-at-home or any programme in this struggle? They only cash out on programmes initiated by the IPOB leadership and DOS,” Powerful told SaharaReporters.
“He always mobilised criminals to be killing innocent citizens of Biafra, they snatch cars and kidnap our people and collect ransom.”
Asked if Ekpa is the one in charge of unknown gunmen terrorising the region, the IPOB spokesperson said, “We don't know anything about unknown gunmen but we are aware that Simon Ekpa recruited criminals with the support of politicians and Nigerian government and its security agencies, especially DSS, DMI and NIA intelligence to do something that helps them to have false evidence to call IPOB terror group in the world.
“Those he recruited are those criminals IPOB leadership and ESN (Eastern Security Network) commanders sacked because they are not in the same line with IPOB. In ESN, if you do whatever that is not with the struggle, you will be removed and if IPOB sacks them, Simon Ekpa will employ them and give them money to kill our people. It's high time people rose up to deal with him and his co-travellers.
“It's more than nine years IPOB was formed by Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB never kidnapped, killed nor raped anybody; it’s unfortunate that this short-term man started killing our people.”