The pan-Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the extradition of Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, to Nigeria and punished for his atrocities in the South East.
Secretary-General of Ohanaeze, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, made the call while reacting to Ekpa’s arrest by the Finnish authorities.
The Biafra agitator was arrested on Thursday in Finland 48 hours before the commencement of Nigeria’s general elections.
Ekpa, who is a Finland-based lawyer and former athlete, is known for his subversive comments against the Nigerian government and its leadership.
Ekpa had in recent years spoken against the unity of the country, insisting the Republic of Biafra must be achieved.
He increased his campaigns after June 2021 re-arrest and repatriation of Nnamdi Kanu, founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Security and intelligence service have linked the kidnapping and murders in the South East to Ekpa’s speeches.
Isiguzoro, however, described Ekpa as an international terrorist who should be punished.
According to him, “If truly the Finnish authorities arrested Simon Ekpa over international terrorism, then they should extradite him back to Nigeria where his killer gang is killing a lot of people. A lot of killings have been associated with Simon Ekpa in the South East.
“It’s certain that Simon Ekpa is a global terrorist and should be made to face trial for his atrocities. I call on the Federal Government through the Attorney General, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [to] ensure that Ekpa is handed over to the Nigerian authority so he would answer for the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Igbos, and destruction of properties.
“It’s cheering news to the people of the South East and with the arrest of Ekpa, we expect that the violence and insecurity and the killer squad in the South East will no longer have a backbone.
“They should confiscate Ekpa’s account for sponsoring terrorism in the South East. Igbos in Finland have done their best to ensure we nip in the bud [the] killings and violence caused by Ekpa. Ekpa must not be allowed to escape justice, the Finnish authority must not release him. The Federal Government, through the Attorney General, must not allow Ekpa to escape through the Finnish laws.”