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INTERVIEW: Simon Ekpa a conman, opportunist – IPOB lawyer, Ejiofor
• ‘Nnamdi Kanu emotionally traumatised in solitary confinement where he has no access to human beings’, says Ejiofor
Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has slammed Simon Ekpa, the Finland-based self-acclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, describing him as a ‘conman’ and ‘opportunist’ exploiting the vacuum caused by Kanu’s incarceration to pursue his selfish agenda. He added that Ekpa’s agenda runs contrary to the beliefs of Nnamdi Kanu.
Barrister Ejiofor in this interview with Daily Post, affirmed that Nnamdi Kanu is not in support of the incessant sit-at-home orders and wanton destruction of people’s livelihood in the Southeast. He also gave an update on Kanu’s case and on other issues. Excerpts!
Supporters of sit-at-home have argued that they are using it because they want to consistently remind the government and demand the immediate release of Kanu by the Department of State Services, DSS. What do you think about their argument?
Their argument is misconceived and holds no water, simple. How can it make sense when Nnamdi Kanu whom you are purportedly sitting-at-home for has given a direct order that you should stop because he doesn’t like that strategy?
However, I want to clarify again that MNK (Mazi Nnamdi Kanu) has totally cancelled sit-at-home. This is because it is a dead strategy. Nnamdi Kanu didn’t start saying this today. This message has been on for almost two years. The first time this sit-at-home was suggested by the DOS, he instructed me to tell them that they should cancel it. He warned that the sit-at-home would make it easy for criminal gangs to take advantage and be causing havoc in our community.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, detained IPOB Leader
The IPOB leadership were reasonable when I told them MNK’s directive on sit-at-home. They understood the point he was making and consequently proceeded to cancel it. Now when that was done and they announced the cancellation of the sit-at-home in line with the directive of MNK, that was when some people who were scheming for an opportunity to be relevant saw that as an avenue to launch themselves into the limelight. They started dishing out contrary orders that sit-at-home must continue. They came out throwing insults and threats that made gullible people believe they are true, and have the interest of MNK at heart. But unknown to them, the man spearheading the sit-at-home is on a different project. He has his own ideology, plans and agenda which is fundamentally different from whatever you think he’s pursuing.
MNK has consistently relayed messages telling people that they should stop sit-at-home over his case. At one point, he was forced to say something in court where he clearly said he wants Southeast to be calm and peaceful. He explained that the suffering he’s passing through is to liberate the Igbos. He said it clearly, under no duress or at gunpoint. He also went on to send a handwritten note directly to the person anchoring the sit-at-home, telling him that sit-at-home orders and enforcement should not be done for his sake. How can you merge the agenda of MNK that is being detained and subjected to intense physiological trauma so that his people can be liberated, with people that go about kidnapping, killing, and cannibalising innocent people? The answer is that these gangs enforcing sit-at-home are not for MNK’s interest and ideology.
But as a member of MNK’s legal team, has this sit-at-home had any impact on the federal government at all?
Sit-at-home has not been effective, and will never make the federal government do anything for MNK. In fact, I can assure you that the government and the DSS are even happy with the hostility going on in the southeast. Because I have reasons to believe that this criminal in Finland ordering sit-at-home, is being armed, supported and funded by the government.
For example, in Imo State today, we have various communities that have been taken over by these criminals. These communities are known to the government but instead of the government deploying forces to go there, they instead go after arresting innocent passersby. I can confirm to you that they are killing and arresting innocent people in the east, and bringing them to Abuja in their 100s.
I have a friend of mine who lost his elder sister, and I called him to confirm when they have fixed the burial. He told me that the in-laws are waiting to get permission from the gangs operating in the community. These criminals are the ones that now tell people the date, time for the burial, the number of guests they should invite, and the time all the guests must leave the community. This is the situation in many parts of Imo and Anambra. And you have governors there who claim to be fighting insecurity.
But now the new directive is that the government should go out to fish out these criminals and deal with them accordingly. As far as I am concerned, sit-at-home has no impact whatsoever in the matter we are having in court.
What we have now are criminals destroying communities in the name of MNK. What that shows is that they have nothing to do with the Biafra struggle. And we have said this countless times that Simon Ekpa is not with IPOB. He is just an opportunist who saw the vacuum created by the temporary exit of MNK as an opportunity to come into the limelight. And his activities of late will show you that he is pursuing his own different agenda. I noticed that he is a conman right from the early days. But many gullible people thought he was working for Nnamdi Kanu until at some point it now became clear to everybody.
Now, everybody can see how he is destroying the Southeast with his sit-at-home orders and enforcement. And I can assure you that 99.9 per cent of the people calling for MNK’s release are doing so because they are convinced that he was not indulging in criminal activities.
What is the update on MNK’s case?
The point is that life has not been fair to Nnamdi Kanu, so you can’t expect him to feel fine for so many reasons. One, he was abducted in Kenya on the 19th of June 2021, tortured for eight days, exposed to all sorts of inhuman treatment, kept in an un-descriptive environment like a criminal, and he faced extraordinary rendition to Nigeria. He was taken to court on the 29th of June on a subsisting matter without reference to us, his lawyers. The court made an order that he should be remanded in the DSS facility. It is known to all that DSS is not a conventional facility for remanding people awaiting trial. We have the correctional service centre which is the institution in charge of keeping people awaiting trial until they are convicted. But that is by the way.
We vigorously pursued the charges against him and the FG kept amending the charges. They started from five to seven-counts-charge, then they made it up to 10 and then later 15-count charge. In all these amendments, we kept filing objections to the competence of the charge, and the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter, on the grounds that there was gross violation of international and domestic laws in the manner he was brought to Nigeria.
Two, the offences disclosed in the charge proffered against him have no true evidence backing them up. These are grounds upon which we objected to the charges against him.
The last charge is the 15-count charge and the court heard our objection to the charge and eventually struck out many of the 15-count charges, leaving the remaining seven. We took the seven to the Court of Appeal and on the 13th of October 2022, the court delivered judgement and consequently, they struck out the remaining charges. The court did not only discharge MNK of the seven-count charge, but it also made a far-reaching pronouncement in the judgement, ordering the government to release him unconditionally and to stop prosecuting, detaining or subjecting MNK to any form of criminal indictment or trial before any court in Nigeria again.
This order was served on the government, and to date, they have not complied with that court order. Instead, the federal government went to file an application before the same Court of Appeal to stay the execution of the judgement delivered. We objected because that sort of application is not known to law. Normally if you want to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal, you take it up to the Supreme Court. But another set of judges at the Court of Appeal sat on the application and on 18th of October 2022 delivered a ruling staying the execution of the judgement made by the same Court of Appeal.
Again, the federal government proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal ruling. We have also filed an appeal against that order staying the execution of the order granted by the Court of Appeal. So we have three different appeals pending before the Supreme Court, and the court has set down the matter for a definite hearing on September 14th.
How has this whole situation affected MNK in DSS detention?
You can understand that he is emotionally traumatised. He is in solitary confinement where he has no access to no human beings. They have continued to violate his rights, more so, when a court of competent jurisdiction has freed him. But instead of complying with that order, the government went further to appeal against it. We are not against FG appealing the judgement, but they should have complied with the declarative order of the Court of Appeal that ordered you to let him go. So he is not happy at all.
And we, his lawyers, representing him are not impressed with the manner in which the FG is treating court orders with levity and impunity. It shows that they have no respect for the rule of law and constitutional democracy.
However, we won’t take laws into our hands. We are hoping that the final court of the land will grant us justice come September 14, 2023.
Terrorists have killed five out of the eight worshippers abducted at ECWA Church Omugo in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state, says one escaped abductees.
Rev Sunday Omole had urged federal government to expedite action on the release of the abductees from the captivity of the terrorists.
The clergyman said government intervention had become necessary after the community paid the terrorists N20 million and provided additional items worth more than N300,000, yet the abductors refused to release the worshippers and instead demanded an additional N300 million ransom.
He added that from the action of the terrorists it was clear that they just wanted to be exploiting the community.
Recall that eight of the worshippers including the Pastor’s wife were kidnapped in the morning of March 22,2026 during a Sunday service.
The death of the five worshippers including the Pastor’s wife was disclosed in a statement issued by the Pastor of the church, Rev Sunday Omole, Wednesday evening.
The statement reads:
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I inform the church, families and individual concerned in regard to the 8 people that were abducted from ECWA OMUGO on 22nd of March, 2026.
“We received one of our son’s, Mr Sunday Bakare also abducted over a month ago, he escaped and brought the following news that only 3 out of 8 of our people are remaining with the kidnappers. The remaining 5 have gone to be with the Lord.
“They are; Elder Chief David Omopariola,
Chief Joseph Ibitoye Afariogun,
Mrs Iyabo Aniyi,
Elder Joshua Akanbi Adeyemi and
Mrs. Rachel Oluwaremilekun Omole(his wife).
“Brethren, let’s know that God knows why He allows this to happen. The great comforter will comfort us in Jesus name, amen.
“The prayers of the saints in the beginning of the church also worked and answered still they had martyrs. John 16:33 says (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace . In this world you will have trouble . But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Heaven is our home and Gain. Let’s reason as child of God as we navigate this moment. God bless you, and comfort you all in Jesus name, amen.”concluded the statement.
It was also gathered that the three remaining worshipers are in terrible health condition, while a member of church who escaped from the terrorists captivity is currently receiving an urgent medical attention in a private hospital in OmuAran.
…charges team to bring home continental trophy
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has gifted players and management of Rangers International Football Club with plots of land and the sum of N150 million for winning the 2025/2026 NPFL title.
Mbah announced the gifts during a dinner reception he hosted in honour of the players, technical crew and management of the team at Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday night.
Rangers FC won the league for a record-equaling ninth time and also for a second time in three years under the Mbah Administration following a 2-1 win over Ikorodu City Boys in Lagos on May 24, 2026.
Speaking at the event, Mbah likened the reception to welcoming home a child who had excelled academically, saying the government and people of Enugu State were delighted to celebrate the team’s success.
“We are providing you with a cash gift of N100 million for the players and N50 million for the technical and management crew.
“In addition to that, we have approved a plot of land in Enugu for every player, while additional plots will be allocated to the General Manager, Head Coach, Secretary and Assistant Coach,” Mbah said.
The governor noted that Rangers was more than a football club, describing it as a symbol of resilience, unity, hope and social renewal established in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War.
According to him, the club carries a rich history and legacy associated with football legends such as the late Christian Chukwu, Emmanuel Okala and Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha.
He commended the players, coaches and management for their hard work, sacrifices and discipline throughout the season, noting that the trophy was the product of countless acts of determination and effort.
Mbah also praised Rangers General Manager, Amobi Ezeaku, for his leadership, resilience and commitment, saying the qualities required to build a successful football club were similar to those needed to build a successful state.
The governor assured the team of continued government support, stressing that sports remained a key component of his administration’s development agenda.
He also stated that renovation works at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, popularly known as “The Cathedral,” would be completed in time and to international standards for Rangers’ continental matches.
He added that Enugu State, under his leadership, would continue to invest heavily in sports infrastructure and development, noting that the state would host the 2026 National Sports Festival in a manner that would leave lasting marks in the sands of time.
Mbah, however, identified complacency as an enemy of success, urging the team not to rest on their laurels and well-deserved accolades.
“So, brace up, fight on, keep winning and ensure you bring the continental trophy home,” he concluded.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Lloyd Ekweremadu, thanked the governor for hosting the champions and for his sustained investment in sports development.
Ekweremadu described the league triumph as a testament to the governor’s commitment to excellence and service delivery across sectors.
The commissioner recalled that Enugu State emerged overall winner of the National Para Games in March with 55 medals comprising 40 gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals.
Responding, Ezeaku noted that success was built on discipline, preparation and ambition, drawing inspiration from renowned philosophers such as Aristotle, Seneca and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
He emphasised that the celebration extended beyond the lifting of a trophy and represented a celebration of leadership, vision and the power of unity among government, management, players and supporters.
The General Manager expressed profound gratitude to Governor Mbah for his unwavering support of the club, stating that Rangers had enjoyed one of its most successful periods in recent history under the governor’s administration.
According to him, Rangers has won two NPFL titles within three years of Governor Mbah’s tenure, a feat he described as remarkable in contemporary Nigerian football.
“This is credited to the governor’s commitment to sports development, youth empowerment and excellence, helping to restore the club’s competitive edge,” he said.
The club also highlighted the governor’s broader achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, technology and economic development, while stressing that his contribution to sports deserves equal recognition.
Reflecting on the club’s title-winning campaign, Ezeaku revealed that the journey was marked by intense competition, with rival clubs reportedly receiving promises of substantial incentives, including cash rewards, vehicles and landed properties.
“Despite these developments, the club maintained focus and confidence, believing that hard work and excellence would ultimately be rewarded.
“We remained resolute and focused throughout the season. Our confidence came from our belief in the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah and our conviction that sacrifice and excellence would not go unnoticed,” he stated.
Looking beyond domestic success, he declared Rangers’ intention to compete among Africa’s elite clubs and challenged stakeholders to support the club’s continental ambitions.
The general manager described Rangers as one of Africa’s historic football brands with the fan base, identity and pedigree to compete successfully at the highest level.
He expressed confidence that with strategic investment and continued government support, Rangers could one day lift the CAF Champions League trophy and bring continental glory back to Nigeria.
“Every great achievement begins as a dream. Today, we dream of Rangers defeating Africa’s biggest clubs and bringing the CAF Champions League trophy to Enugu,” the management said.
Meanwhile, Rangers FC and their fans had earlier celebrated their NPFL win at Okpara Square and paraded their trophy through the capital city with much jubilation and fanfare before retiring to Government House for the dinner reception and presentation of the trophy to the governor.
The lifeless body of a final-year female student of the Federal University Lokoja has been discovered along the Felele–Lokoja Road in Kogi State.
The deceased, identified as Sarah Ojodomo Idoko, was a final-year student of the Federal University Lokoja. Her body was reportedly found on Saturday night near the Crusher area along the busy Felele axis after she was allegedly dumped there by unknown assailants.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that a vehicle was seen stopping briefly near the location at about 8 p.m. before speeding away. Shortly afterwards, passers-by reportedly discovered the victim’s body by the roadside and alerted authorities.
Initial reports suggested that Sarah was a student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, after an identity card bearing her name and academic details was recovered at the scene.
The card indicated that she was enrolled in the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme in the Department of Office Technology Management for the 2024/2025 academic session.
However, the Kogi State Police Command later clarified that the deceased was actually a student of the Federal University Lokoja.
Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Naziru Kankarofi, said investigations had commenced.
He noted that the police were working to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and track down those responsible.
According to the police commissioner, details of the investigation would be made public at the appropriate time, while assuring residents that the command remains committed to ensuring justice for the deceased.
The tragic death of Sarah Ojodomo Idoko has once again raised concerns about the safety and security of students and residents along the Felele corridor, a major gateway to Lokoja that has witnessed several security-related incidents in recent years.
Meanwhile, the Association of Nigeria Female Students (ANFS), Kogi State Chapter, described the killing as cruel, unfortunate, and unacceptable.
In a statement issued by its State Coordinator, Comrade Celina Ojoniko James, the association expressed deep sorrow over the loss and called on security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that those responsible are identified and prosecuted.
The group also urged government authorities and security agencies to strengthen safety measures around campuses and student communities to prevent similar tragedies in the future. (TRIBUNE)
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