The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has commended the Federal Government for the incarceration of Simon Ekpa in Finland, which resulted in a six-year prison sentence on terrorism-related charges.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, praised the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle; and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for their efforts in curbing insecurity in the Southeast.
Isiguzoro described the conviction as a “landmark victory,” noting that it has weakened terrorism in the region and ended the disruptive “sit-at-home” orders previously enforced by Ekpa.
He stressed that the development reaffirmed the Igbo people’s opposition to violent agitations, adding: “We unequivocally condemn terrorism in all its forms and reject any deviation from nonviolent self-determination principles.”
Ohanaeze also appealed to Ekpa’s followers to renounce violence, pointing out that many of them were young graduates and entrepreneurs misled into armed struggle. The organisation assured that it would push for rehabilitation and empowerment programmes for repentant agitators.
Reiterating its stance, Ohanaeze pledged continued collaboration with security agencies to ensure lasting peace and stability in the Southeast.
