Ifeanyi Ubah, the Senator representing Anambra South, has berated Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, over his endless call for sit-at-home in the southeastern region of the country.

“I am telling you Simon Ekpa, be careful, I won’t say more than this, you have mentioned me 17 times and I’m going to reply once; try me, you will see. Go and observe sit-at-home in Ebonyi and also with your father, your family, go and observe sit-at-home in your village and leave Anambra State alone,” Mr Ubah gave the warning on Monday at stakeholders meeting held in the state.

He said the continued crusade of the sit-at-home order by Mr Ekpa has been raising security concerns and disrupting the socio-economy of people in Anambra state.

In August 2021, IPOB introduced a sit-at-home order every Monday across the Southeast to pressure the government to release its detained leader, Mr Kanu.

However, Mr Ekpa – a separatist agitating for the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra – has continued to declare the sit-at-home order in the region despite being suspended by Mr Kanu, who is currently standing trial and facing terrorism charges from the Nigerian government.

Residents of the five Southeast states, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra have been observing the Monday sit-at-home order, mostly out of fear. 

Positing further, Mr Ubah said Mr Ekpa will only be taken seriously if he returns to Nigeria from his base in Finland to continue his crusade of the sit-at-home order.

He specifically queried why the IPOB self-proclaimed agitator would abandon his country home of Ebonyi and brainwash other people in the Southeast region to observe the sit-at-home order.

“Ebonyi does not observe sit-at-home, you are in Finland contesting for councillorship or whatever, and you go to your job on Mondays but you want to deprive people because you have communication gadgets, you have the internet to run propaganda.

“I am elected officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I represent the people of Anambra South. To you Simon Ekpa and your co-travellers, for anyone of you to mention sit-at-home again, you will start preaching the sit-at-home from Ebonyi before you continue to mention Anambra State and Enugu,” Mr Ubah added.