- Simon Ekpa demands leader’s release, declares 14-day sit-at-home
- Senate condemns sit-at-home, urges government action
- Violence and economic harm prompt urgent response
The Senate has called on the Nigerian government, led by President Bola Tinubu, to cooperate with the Finnish government in extraditing self-proclaimed Biafran leader, Simon Ekpa, to face the law in relation to the ongoing sit-at-home crisis in the South-East region.
The sit-at-home protests were initiated by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) following the continued detention of their leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, since September 2021.
Despite the State Directorate of IPOB canceling the Monday sit-at-home order, residents in the South-East have continued to observe it, causing concerns among political leaders who believe it is negatively impacting the region’s economy.
Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, criticized some IPOB leaders for ending the sit-at-home without securing Kanu’s release, labeling them as “traitors.” In response, Ekpa declared a new 14-day sit-at-home to exert further pressure on the government for Kanu’s release.
However, the Senate, through a motion led by Senator Osita Osinazu from Imo State and supported by all South-Eastern senators, condemned the sit-at-home protests. They urged the federal government to find a lasting solution, as the protests were causing economic harm and disrupting the lives of innocent people.
The Senate also expressed concern over the violence associated with the sit-at-home order, particularly the killing of Ahmad Gulak, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan. They stressed the need for urgent action to address the situation.
Several senators, including Gbenga Daniel and Enyinnaya Abaribe, highlighted the negative impact of the sit-at-home on commercial activities in the region and emphasized that it is a national problem affecting economic activities.
President of the Senate, Goodwill Akpabio, asserted that the issue of sit-at-home is a national matter and called for an end to the disruptions caused by the protests, which have been affecting people’s ability to conduct economic activities in the region.
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