The Senate has condemned the ongoing sit-at-home in the South East and has demanded the extradition of Simon Ekpa, a self-claimed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader who resides in Finland, to face the law.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the motion was sponsored by Senator Osita Osinazu, Imo State, and co-sponsored by all senators from the Southeast.
Ekpa has been accused of threatening people to sit-at-home and inciting the youth in the zone to shut down markets and other commercial activities on Mondays in the name of calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB.
Kanu has been in DSS custody, facing several charges bordering on treason.
The Senate expressed concern that the sit-at-home order was causing economic harm to the region and was disrupting the lives of innocent people.
They also condemned the violence associated with the sit-at-home order, including the killing of Ahmad Gulak, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Senate, in reaction, said, “something must be done urgently.”
Senator Gbenga Daniel, Ogun, who seconded the motion, said it’s a national problem which is affecting commercial activities in the zone.
He said the sit-at-home is being made in the zone “where giant strides are being made. If commercial activities are being shut down, it’s indeed a national problem.
“While a number of people have fallen victim, I recall my good friend Ahmad Gulak was shot by people enforcing this sit-at-home order.”
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe adding to the discourse, said his state (Abia State) is “the epicentre” of the malaise.
He said the matter of sit-at-home started in August 2021 when the agitation group insisted on sit-at-home because the DSS arrested their leader.
He said when the criminal angle began, “IPOB said they are no longer in support of sit-at-home.”
He told the lawmakers that during a visit to Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody, Kanu dissociated himself from the sit-at-home and denied authorising Simon Ekpa to make such declarations.
“There’s no one in the south east who supports sit-at-home. This is beyond the citizenry,” he said.
“What the criminals have done is to use terror tactics to intimidate the public. He added that the DSS confirmed it is the activities of few people who come out to shoot people, dispossess them of their belongings and run to hide.”
Former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, in his contribution, lamented that “These boys have caused manufacturing problems in Abia. People have suffered so much because where this is happening is Aba, commercial hub.
“It’s not the work of the president. When we were governors, their leaders did something like that. I called on him, you can’t do that here.
“The South East governors have a lot to do to end the malaise. These boys are in the bush causing troubles.
“It’s something we need to brief the security agencies. They will be able to adopt strategies to fish these boys out.
“It has caused billions of naira. These boys are hijacking trailers. People from Borno and other places that used to come to Aba to buy goods no longer come.
“The other day, they hijacked a trailer until the military intervened.
“They burnt my campaign centre the other day. We can’t runway.
“The governor’s are the problem. They must come together to work together to tackle the problem,” Kalu said.
The President of the Senate, Goodwill Akpabio, said it’s a national issue which has affected people who used to travel long distances to conduct economic activities in the zone.
“This must stop,” Akpabio said.
The Senate called on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to end the sit-at-home order and to bring those responsible for the violence to justice.
