Sit-at-home: South East govts vow to deal with Simon Ekpa

States in the South East have vowed to deal with Simon Ekpa, the Biafra agitator imposing the sit-at-home.

Governors of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo State on Wednesday, July 12, said they would not yield to the antics of non-state actors who are disrupting governance in the southeast geo-political zone.

This comes following the two-week sit-at-home imposed in the southeast by factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, which is said to began from July 31 to August 14.

Finland based-Nigerian, Simon Ekpa said; “Saturday, August 5, 2023 and Sunday, August 6, 2023, all Biafran markets will open respectively.

“Monday, August 7, 2023 to Friday, August 11, 2023, there will be total lockdown in Biafraland; Saturday, August 12, 2023 and Sunday, August 13, 2023 (Break), all Biafran markets will open; Monday, August 14, 2023, there will be lockdown in Biafraland.

“We hereby call on all market leaders to strictly adhere to this order and treat it with utmost seriousness.”

However, a statement released by the press secretary to Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Christian Aburime, said there is no place for non-state actors.

“Anambra State under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will never yield to non-state actors on this illegal sit-at-home order.

“Simon Ekpa is a fugitive and rabble-rouser who should be completely ignored by the citizens of Anambra and by extension, the entire South East.

“The imposition of sit-at-home orders by unauthorized individuals or groups is a clear violation of the law and Anambra State will never observe any sit-at-home order by a Simon Ekpa.

“Our markets, schools, businesses, and other social activities will remain open. Anambra State will never be a breeding ground for anarchy, fear, or lawlessness.”

The Enugu state government described Simon Ekpa as a villain, a criminal, adding that nobody will obey him in the state.

“We have ended illegal sit-at-home here in Enugu. That criminal should look for something else to do. He is not working in the interest of Nnamdi Kanu or IPoB. IPoB has denied him several times.

“Please, people should call him what he is, a terrorist, a criminal. He should not be linked with IPoB, he is just a criminal.

“Security operatives will teach any of his co-criminals who may want to test the will of the Government. They have been warned”, he said.

Ebonyi state Governor Francis Nwifuru declared that there is nothing like sit- at-home in the state.

"I am surprised to hear sit -at home from you because there is nothing like sit- at home in Ebonyi. We never for one day observed sit -at – home and I know you are aware .

"Some people only wanted to know if they can start putting tension on people and we said no, they don’t have such powers, they can’t do that and it didn’t happen.”