Simon Ekpa Claims Responsibility for Killing of Four Police Officers in Nigeria’s South-East.
On Monday evening, gunmen attacked and killed four police officers and a civilian along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Owerri, Imo State. Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based Biafra agitator, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ekpa, based in Finland, leads a group of Biafra agitators called Autopilot. He also founded the Biafra Defence Forces and Biafra Liberation Army, the armed militant wings of Autopilot Biafra.
Ekpa stated that his group, the Biafra Defence Forces, carried out the attack. He referred to Nigerian security operatives as “terrorists” and demanded their withdrawal from the South-East.
Ekpa’s declaration of a four-day sit-at-home order in the region coincided with the attack. Calls for his repatriation to Nigeria to face charges over his role in the region’s insecurity have intensified, with several groups, including the Enugu State governor, calling for his repatriation so he can face legal action. However, Finnish authorities have explained that they lack the power to repatriate him to Nigeria, as they respect his rights as a Finnish citizen.
