IPOB: Confusion And Fear Reign As Simon Ekpa Insists On Sit-at-home On April 4th & April 8th

By Charles Igbo

There are confusion and fear amongst the people in the South-east over which order to obey on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Do they obey the Government and Nnamdi Kanu’s Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, and ignore the sit-at-home order imposed on the people, or obey it to the letter as ordered by an obvious faction of IPOB?

A clear sign that IPOB has been fictionalized has emerged.

A baby of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been its Leader since it was founded, there is now a faction headed by the self- proclaimed “Disciple” of the IPOB leader, Simon Ekpa which orders the opposite of whatever emanates from the IPOB Nigerians had always known.

In a statement decrying the activities of this group, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, identified it as”Autopilot”, and held it responsible for the recent violence in the Zone, especially in Anambra and Imo States. In the past few days, insecurity has escalated.

Now, there is confusion and fear in the South-east over which faction to obey as orders and counter-orders emanate from both, especially, against Monday, April 4, 2022.

While the IPOB Nigerians have always known insists there will be no sit-at-home in the South-east on Monday, April 4, and has declared any enforcer as a criminal who should be dealt with, Ekpa in a fiery broadcast  declared April 4th and April 8th as sit-at-home days in the South-east.

In the broadcast, Ekpa announced: “Sit-at-home, revolution & other civil disobedience is to demand Biafra and MNK freedom.”

IPOB has, on a number of times, disowned Ekpa’s activities and orders. It has also accused Ekpa of not taking directives from its Directorate of Services, DOS.

On Saturday, April 2, in Awka, Anambra State, Igbo leaders, including Traditional Rulers and Clerics had met at a meeting, inspired by the Anambra State Government, and declared that the sit-at-home order declared by IPOB since about 14 months ago, is counter-productive, has blurred the main thrust of IPOB’s agitation, has not helped Kanu, has brought untold hardship and death to the people, and has reduced socio-economic activities in the Zone to zero.

Allegedly, along with IPOB, the meeting agreed that every sit-at-home order in the South-east has been canceled. It declared Monday, April 4, 2022, as prayer day in Anambra. A bell would ring to mark the beginning of the prayers.

In a communique, it, also, asked for the unconditional release of the IPOB leader by the Federal Government which is prosecuting him at a Federal High Court in Abuja for sundry charges, including alleged terrorism and treasonable felony.

Ekpa’s insistence on the implementation of the sit-at-home order against April 4th and April 8th, has thrown a spanner into the plans.

Leading an obviously more militant and aggressive group, Ekpa lives in Finland, and came into national consciousness a couple of days after Kanu’s arrest in June 2021. He introduced himself as a disciple of Kanu, and gave the impression that he was standing-in for him. But he was soon denied by IPOB, which said Ekpa refused to pledge allegiance to the ideals of IPOB, and was not Kanu’s stand-in. Since then, Ekpa and IPOB have been working at cross-purposes.

On Saturday, a video -broadcast of a woman who identified herself as Dr Nelly Iduu, appeared. Very fiery, threatening fire and brimstone, she cursed the new Governor of Anambra State,  Charles Soludo, out. He called him a slave and a saboteur. Daring the Governor, she threatened that Anambra would be on fire on Monday.

Flanked by two others – a man and a woman- it is not known from where she spoke, or if she is working with Ekpa or another group, or what her status is.

For now, fear, tension and confusion reign in the South-east, especially, Anambra where Soludo seems to have run into an early trouble with this “new” group.