Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leading Igbo sociocultural group, has welcomed the arrest of Simon Ekpa, the self-styled leader of the Biafran independence movement, describing it as a major relief for the Igbo people.
The group views Ekpa’s capture as a significant development in the ongoing efforts toward healing and reconciliation in Southeastern Nigeria.
A Finnish court recently sentenced Ekpa to prison for spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) apprehended Ekpa along with four others for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities.
Ekpa was remanded in custody by the Päijät-Häme district court in Finland.
In response to news of his arrest, the Nigerian military expressed its satisfaction with the outcome.
The Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, issued a statement underscoring that Ekpa’s arrest was crucial in addressing the security crisis that has plagued the Southeast for years.
Isiguzoro emphasized that Ekpa’s plan to declare an independent Biafran Nation on December 2, 2024, was reckless and dangerous, warning that it could have sparked widespread civil unrest.
“Such a move could have led to another civil war, a conflict that the Igbo people have decisively rejected and do not want to revisit. The scars from the previous war are still fresh in our collective memory,” Isiguzoro stated.
He further condemned Ekpa’s activities over the past few years, particularly the disruption caused by his “Sit-At-Home” orders, which were enforced by armed groups and severely damaged the region’s economy.
According to Ohanaeze, the economic losses from these actions have been catastrophic, amounting to more than 22 trillion naira in lost investments.
The organization also voiced concerns over the Finnish government’s handling of Ekpa’s case, noting that as a Finnish citizen, Ekpa had exploited the freedoms of his adopted country to incite violence and division in Nigeria.
Ohanaeze questioned why Finnish authorities had not acted sooner against Ekpa’s activities, which they argued were detrimental to the peace and stability of both Nigeria and Finland.
Ohanaeze reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful and democratic restructuring of Nigeria, stressing that the Igbo people seek dialogue, development, and progress, not conflict.
The group called for unity and collaboration among all Nigerians to ensure that the lessons from past conflicts are not forgotten, and that the country moves forward toward lasting peace.
