This happened only one day after the Senate urged the Federal Government to work with the Finnish government to extradite Ekpa to Nigeria for prosecution.
Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, has reaffirmed the need to restore peace and put a stop to insurgency in the South-East, while also calling for the extradition of Finland-based separatist Simon Ekpa in connection with the illegal Monday sit-at-home order.
This occurred a day after the Senate criticised the order imposed by a section of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), urging the Federal Government to work with the Finnish government to repatriate Ekpa to Nigeria for trial.
Major General Hassan Dada, the new General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Enugu, paid Uzodimma a familiarisation visit at the Government House in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Friday.
“In our circumstances, the most common order is the sit-at-home order. “There’s a guy named Simon Ekpa somewhere in Finland,” he explained.
“We hope that security agencies, particularly the military, working with the Federal Government will be able to either bring Simon Ekpa back to Nigeria to sit at home with us or force him to face the wrath of the law.”
He also addressed the harmful impact of the illegal sit-at-home orders, pledging the incoming GOC and his team his and the people of Imo State’s support.
Similarly, the governor met with traditional rulers and community leaders at the Traditional Rulers Council headquarters in Owerri, where he asked for their help in stopping the tide of insecurity and assisting the government and security forces in combating crime.
He advised them to disregard any stay-at-home order and continue about their lawful business.
The governor also took advantage of the opportunity to reveal the multiple intervention programmes and incentives planned by the state and federal governments to mitigate the economic effects of the loss of gasoline subsidies.
These two crucial meetings came just hours after Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, urged Simon Ekpa, through his counsel, to refrain from issuing any sit-at-home order in the South-East under whatever pretence.
Major General Dada stated in his statements that all non-state actors will be prosecuted and all types of criminality would be eradicated in the region immediately.
He stated that he had received a marching order from Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, to end insecurity in the South-East as soon as possible.
While reiterating that his team would do everything possible to restore peace to the South-East, he appealed for the assistance of the Imo governor and state residents to accomplish this achievement.
