
By Maduako Igbokwe
The human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has stated that Simon Ekpa’s activities give credence to the Court of Appeal’s judgment affirming IPOB as a terrorist organization.
Speaking with journalists in Asaba, Delta State, during his 50th birthday celebration over the weekend, Ejiofor said that Simon Ekpa had destroyed and criminalized the struggle for Biafra.
According to him, the average person once believed in the struggle for Biafra’s independence, but today, trust and confidence in the movement have declined.
“I have had the privilege of reading parts of the Court of Appeal judgment affirming IPOB as a terrorist organization. I also heard the observation made by one of the justices. If I may summarize, he said the concept that established IPOB was accepted by all Igbos, but in the course of the struggle, some criminal elements hijacked the process and turned it into a criminal and violent organization,” Ejiofor stated.
He recalled that in 2015 and 2016, every Igbo youth or reasonable person who had not adorned IPOB regalia felt disconnected from the Igbo struggle.
“It was inspiring; that was exactly what compelled me to get involved. I asked, ‘Why is the government arresting them for seeking to have their own state?’ The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the activities of Simon Ekpa. When he started, I fought him in the media and took him to court. The case is still ongoing. I kept shouting that this man is a fraudster, but most people attacked me, calling me a betrayer. I replied that I prayed his activities would not eventually affect them.”
“Simon Ekpa took advantage of the situation at the time and led our people into committing crimes—acts of terrorism, kidnapping, killings, rape, and human trafficking. That completely changed the movement’s orientation. It takes time to explain to the average Igbo person that Ekpa was not speaking for them. Today, some have begun to realize that he caused more harm to the struggle and the entire Igbo land,” he said.
Ejiofor asserted that Simon Ekpa negatively impacted public perception of IPOB, despite not being a member.
He further stated that Ekpa recruited many IPOB and Igbo youths and used them to commit crimes, leading the public to erroneously believe that IPOB was responsible for these heinous acts.
“When you arrest those criminals working for Ekpa, they will claim to be IPOB members. It is important to distinguish between IPOB and Ekpa with his so-called ‘Biafra in exile.'”
“Today, if a referendum is conducted, I doubt any Igbo man would be happy to vote for the state of Biafra because of the atrocities Ekpa committed against them. How can you claim to be fighting for your people’s freedom while you are killing and kidnapping them? Ekpa destroyed the IPOB concept and implanted his criminal ideology among his followers,” he added.
Ejiofor concluded that, due to Ekpa’s actions, it would be difficult to convince the court that IPOB is not a terrorist organization.
He stated that Ekpa’s activities justify the Court of Appeal’s affirmation of IPOB as a violent and terrorist organization.
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