IPOB blames Simon Ekpa’s breakaway group for continued sit-at-home in S-East

Outlawed Igbo separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has blamed Simon Ekpa, the self-styled disciple of the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, for the continued enforcement of the sit at home in the South-East.

The Finland-based Simon Ekpa, a former Director of Radio Biafra who broke away from IPOB to form a splinter group known as ‘IPOB Auto-Pilot,’ has rejected calls for an end to the sit-at-home order by the secessionist group and governors in the South-East, insisting that the order will not end until Biafran Republic is achieved.

In a statement by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful on Monday, the group insisted that the original sit-at-home ordered by IPOB had been cancelled long ago but the violent enforcement of the order leading to deaths, burning of vehicles, shops, killing of law enforcement agents and electoral officials by illegal enforcers of the order is was handiwork of the Ekpa group.

The statement made available to Ripples Nigeria reads:

“It is certain Simon Ekpa and his gang called Autopilots are carrying out threats against people’s lives because of non-existent Monday sit-at-home.

“These people disturbing the peace of our people are not IPOB members. IPOB doesn’t shed blood. We are a peaceful movement.

“We wish to reiterate, once again, that IPOB has cancelled the Monday sit-at-home order, and anybody or group enforcing it is neither from us nor our volunteer group.

Read also: IPOB dissociates self from kidnap of herdsmen in S’East, says ‘we’re not kidnappers, terrorists’

“Nobody was given the mandate to enforce the same suspended sit-at-home using the name of the IPOB. The only day the sit-at-home will be observed in Biafra land is when our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is appearing in court; and we shall, as usual, make it public for all to know.

“Any governor in the region who deems it fit to stop the non-existent Monday sit-at-home order in the region is free to do so.

“Anyone caught adding to the pain of our people in the name of enforcing Monday sit-at-home order will be treated like the enemy that he or she is.

“We therefore, warn these agents of darkness using the name of the IPOB to enforce a non-existent sit-at-home to desist.

“Why should such unpatriotic elements be inflicting pain on our people and dragging our image to the mud? The IPOB remains a non-violent movement and our peaceful approach to Biafra restoration has not changed,” Powerful reiterated.

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