•Allow Kanu address media on suspension of order, HURIWA urges Buhari

Following purported enforcement of sit-at-home order, which was declared by Finland-based Simon Ekpa, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, asked Federal Government to arrest and repatriate him to Nigeria, saying he is responsible for killings and violence in the South East.

Ohanaeze, in a statement, in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, by the Secretary General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that economic activities and other businesses were paralysed, following alleged invasion of unknown gunmen in Abakaliki market.

The unknown gunmen, The Guardian gathered, invaded one of the markets, Afia-Ohuru, located along Abakaliki-Enugu expressway, to purportedly enforce the sit-at-home order.

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The state capital was fully deserted as people scampered for safety, while thousands of traders, who already opened their shops for business, closed for fear of being killed.

Ohanaeze said it has identified Ekpa as being responsible for current killings in Imo State, destruction of public properties in Enugu State and disturbance of public peace, as well as sporadic shootings in Ebonyi State, asking Federal Government to arrest and repatriate him to face prosecution.

The statement reads: “Ndigbo will liaise with relevant organisations, Finish Embassy in Nigeria, and Nigerians in the Diaspora to seek extradition of Ekpa to Nigeria to face prosecution and trials over killings of Southeasterners, burning of public properties, and disturbances of public peace.”

SIMILARLY, following continued attacks and targeted violence allegedly masterminded by armed supporters of Ekpa, targeting Southeasterners, who are going about their legitimate businesses, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to let the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, address the media, affirming and confirming the suspension of the sit-at-home order.

HURIWA has also criticised the law enforcement agents and the Department of State Services (DSS) for failure of intelligence to address continuous attacks and hit-and-run shootings by hoodlums and terrorists in the South East, purportedly attempting to destroy the economic mainstay of millions of Igbo people.

HURIWA said: “The president should let Kanu speak to Igbo people to affirm or deny the report by his lawyers that he had ordered an end to the sit-at-home order, which one Simon Ekpa, an alleged follower of the detained leader, disputed and ordered forceful implementation of the order. The live television broadcast by Kanu on lingering controversy around the order will assuage suspicions by those loyal to Ekpa that Kanu did not order an end to the economically stagnating sit-at-home order in the South East.”

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Related topics: Guardian newspaper IPOB Ohanaeze