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IPOB Disowns Simon Ekpa Due to His Arrest And Calls for Focus on Biafra Struggle
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have urged their members to stay focused on their mission to achieve an independent Biafran state and remain calm amidst the arrest of Simon Ekpa, who describes himself as the Prime Minister of Biafra in Exile.
In a strong condemnation of Ekpa’s actions, IPOB emphasized that every crime has its consequences.
Emma Powerful, the group’s spokesperson, clarified that Simon Ekpa is not, and has never been, a member of IPOB. He accused Ekpa of using violence to destabilize the South-East region since 2021.
In a detailed statement, Powerful said, “Simon Ekpa has no affiliation with the global IPOB family or its leadership.
Despite false narratives claiming otherwise, he has never been registered as a member in Finland or any other part of the world.”
Powerful reiterated that IPOB, under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, has consistently pursued a peaceful path toward achieving Biafra’s independence.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu founded IPOB as a non-violent movement dedicated to self-determination through a United Nations-supervised referendum.
Despite repeated provocations and violent crackdowns by the Nigerian government, we have remained steadfast in our peaceful approach for over two decades,” he explained.
Ekpa, however, has been accused of exploiting the Biafran cause for personal gain.
“Many innocent Biafrans, driven by their passion for the Biafran struggle, initially believed in Simon Ekpa’s rhetoric.
Unfortunately, they later realized he was a destructive force, funded to undermine IPOB’s efforts.
He has recruited violent criminals under the guise of fighting for Biafra and formed the so-called Biafra Liberation Army, which has carried out atrocities in the Eastern region,” Powerful added.
Ekpa, who leads the self-proclaimed Biafra Government in Exile (BGIE), has been linked to violent activities that have harmed civilians.
Powerful accused both the Nigerian and Finnish governments of protecting Ekpa from accountability for his alleged crimes. Despite this, IPOB expressed confidence that justice would prevail.
The statement ended with a call for unity and focus: “We urge all IPOB members, Biafrans, and supporters of our cause to remain calm.
Our objective remains the same—to restore Biafra’s sovereignty through peaceful means.
No amount of sabotage can deter us from this goal.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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