The secessionist group, which calls itself the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), led by Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian, former U.S. Army officer residing in Finland, has threatened to lock down the South-East region in protest of alleged over-militarization of the area by Nigeria’s armed forces.
The group’s leader also reiterated his organization’s long-standing demand for the release of incarcerated leader of another secessionist group, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Although Mr. Ekpa refers to himself as an “Apostle of Nnamdi Kanu,” his group and Mr. Kanu’s often disagree on modalities, despite their shared goal of seeking self-rule for Nigeria’s South East region.
Ekpa said his announcement was a decision of the “Biafran government,” which reportedly met and decided via virtual meeting on Friday, August 23.
The group said the lockdown will commence on August 28, 2024, and end on September 26, 2024, affecting all Nigerian government offices in Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Anambra states.
“The Biafra government has approved the lockdown of Nigerian institutions in certain parts of Biafra territory following the continued killings of Christians and Biafrans, as well as the invasion of churches and abduction of worshippers,” Ekpa stated.
“We demand the total withdrawal of all Nigerian security forces from Biafra territory and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and all other Biafrans detained in various locations across Nigeria, including in the far North.”
This move follows BRGIE’s ongoing enforcement of a Sit-At-Home order in the South-East every monday, despite IPOB officially disavowing the order.
Ekpa’s alleged activities have drawn the ire of constituted authorities in the region. In a recent comment, the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah called Ekpa a “murderer and terrorist“.
However, even the region’s political leaders often reiterate the same complaints of over-militarization of the region, and marginalization in the distribution of national resources.
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