Lahti-based separatist leader, Simon Ekpa, who is wanted by the Nigerian government and his commandant, Clement Anyaegbu are after the life of Obi-West Utchaychukwu, the publisher of Diaspora Glitz Magazine and several other Igbo men living in Finland who are against the dimension of their agitation in Nigeria.
According to a leaked audio in Igbo language obtained by Diaspora Glitz Magazine, Clement Anyaegbu who hails from Ebenebe Town in Awka North L.G.A in Anambra State vowed to send the names, towns and phone numbers of those who are against Simon Ekpa’s sit-at-home order and his calls for boycott of 2023 general elections in the South-eastern region to their deadly groups in Nigeria.
According to the article of Premium Times, a leading investigative news media in Nigeria, “Ekpa has been dishing out sit-at-home orders since Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader, was “intercepted” in Kenya in June, 2021, by Nigerian security agents and brought back to Abuja. On 7 December, Mr. Ekpa, via his verified Twitter handle, declared a five-day sit-at-home across the South-east from 9 to 14 December. Tuesday, 13 December, was excluded. At least two people, including a police officer, were killed in Imo State and two others killed in Enugu by gunmen who were said to be enforcing the sit-at-home in the region, Premium Times reported.
Recall that the Igbo community in Finland released a statement on 27 Dec 2022 which was published by the mainstream Nigerian media calling on the Finnish government to restrain the separatist leader, adding that there was no place on the planet where people could simply hide, incite violence, and escape punishment.
The statement reads, while we respect and recognize the rights of individuals to express their thoughts, the Igbo community in Finland strongly denounces Mr. Simon Ekpa’s seditious statements and actions.
“Consequent on the foregoing, the Igbo community in Finland is openly and strongly condemning Mr. Simon Ekpa’s violent method of operation and wishes to state our position as follows:
“That we reject every illegal sit-at-home order or any other orders that restrict the economic activity and daily lives of people as criminal elements have exploited such orders to kill, steal and destroy properties in Igbo land.
“That we strongly urge Mr. Simon Ekpa to rescind his undiplomatic campaign slogan that there will be no election in Biafra land in 2023and cease all his efforts to deprive Igbos of the opportunity and the right to vote and participate in the political process of electing their leaders.
“That Simon Ekpa be warned strongly not to use social media to spread threats of violence, which is fast turning the once peaceful region in Nigeria into a region of insecurity.
They therefore called for action against Ekpa for him to be restrained immediately and made to face the full wrath of the law for his actions.
I have been receiving strange calls and threatening messages which made me file a criminal report against Simon Ekpa and Clement Anyaegbu at the police station in Helsinki. If anything should happen to me or any of my family members in Nigeria they should be held responsible, said Obi-West Utchaychukwu
