The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has asked the supporters of imprisoned Simon Ekpa to lay down their weapons and embrace the path of peace.
Ohanaeze also expressed profound gratitude to the federal government for its relentless efforts aimed at alleviating the pressing security challenges facing the South-East.
The group hailed the significant milestone represented by the incarceration of Ekpa in Finland, where he has justly received a six-year sentence for terrorism-related offenses.
In a statement issued by the factional Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro and the National Spokesperson, Chief Thompson Ohia, respectively, Ohanaeze underscored the international community’s recognition of the threat posed by Ekpa but also signaled a decisive step toward restoring peace and security in the South-East region.
“The South-East region, along with the entirety of the Igbo race, stands indebted to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawelle and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
“With the Finnish government’s recent sentencing of Simon Ekpa, our collective stance is unequivocal: the people of the South-East do not endorse any form of armed struggle or terrorism in the name of Biafra agitation.
“It is vital to emphasize that there exists a segment of repentant, peaceful, and non-violent pro-Biafra agitators who are ready and willing to assist the federal government in its endeavors to eradicate the insecurity plaguing the South-East.
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“This represents a prime opportunity for the federal government to adopt the carrot and stick approach, as famously employed by former President Umaru Yar’Adua, that ended the Niger-Delta militancy in 2008.
“Engaging with these repentant agitators through constructive dialogue could effectively address the underlying grievances of the South-East and mitigate any further unrest.
“This serves as a renewed clarion call, a rallying cry for all armed Biafra agitators to surrender their arms, abandon the concealment of violence in the South-East’s bushes, and seek rehabilitation and reintegration back into society,” the group said.
Ohanaeze advocated for the establishment of specialized rehabilitation and youth empowerment programs tailored for repentant Biafran agitators.
The Igbo group stated that Ekpa’s six-year imprisonment heralds a new chapter for the people of the South-East.
