Another lockdown in the South-East states to call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu has been declared by the self-proclaimed disciple of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Simon Ekpa.
Ekpa rose to prominence in July 2021, after he was announced as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra.
But shortly after his appointment, IPOB announced his disengagement because of his refusal to sign the rules of engagement in the operation of the radio station.
However, the Finland-based Nigerian has repeatedly pledged allegiance to Kanu and support for Biafra agitation, despite leading a faction of the IPOB called “Autopilots”.
In a tweet on Monday, Ekpa said the entire land of “Biafra will be locked down on 23rd and 24th of January 2023 in protest” against the detention of the IPOB leader.
He tweeted, “Based on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s current health condition, the Court of Appeal judgment discharging him, Umuahia court judgement and Gov Soludo’s recent call for his release, we are giving the FGN between now and 22nd of January 2023 to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“Failure to do that, the entire land of Biafra will be locked down on 23rd and 24th of January 2023 in protest.”
In December 2022, AuthenticReporters reported that thousands of Nigerians called for the arrest of Ekpa following the five-day sit-at-home order declared by him that led to the killing of some residents in the Southeast region.
The petitioners called on the Finnish government, Nigerian government and the European Union to arrest Ekpa, the brains behind the order.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 when he was re-arrested in Kenya and returned to Nigeria by the Nigerian government for continued trial on treasonable felony and terrorism charges pressed against him by the government.
On October 13, 2022, a three-man panel of Court of Appeal judges in their unanimous decision ruled that Kanu’s rendition from Kenya was illegal.
The court also discharged and acquitted Kanu of all the charges and ordered his immediate and unconditional release from detention.
Also, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council Working Group in its report on July 20, 2022 described the IPOB leader’s extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021 as “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional extradition”.
It also called for his immediate release and compensation by the Nigerian and Kenyan governments for the way he was treated.
In the document, the body also indicted both Nigeria and Kenya for Kanu’s abduction and rendition.
Despite the call by the UN Working Group and court judgement, the Nigerian government has failed to release the IPOB leader.
