The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has criticized Simon Ekpa, an arrested separatist leader, for pushing others to violence while living a luxurious lifestyle. Ekpa, who advocates for the restoration of the defunct Biafra Republic, is currently detained by Finnish authorities.
Through his Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), Ekpa has enforced a sit-at-home order in Nigeria’s Southeast region, demanding the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu. These orders have caused disruptions and negatively impacted the region’s economy.
In an interview with News Central TV, Musa highlighted Ekpa’s hypocrisy, saying, “He is having fun, enjoying himself, partying and doing all sorts yet pushing people to kill themselves.” The CDS noted that Ekpa often takes credit when the consequences of his orders emerge online.
Musa expressed satisfaction with Ekpa’s arrest, emphasizing that the Finnish government acted based on evidence provided by Nigeria’s military. He stated, “They understand that keeping him there is a minus for them.”
Addressing criticisms that the military lacks the intelligence to end the sit-at-home crisis, Musa explained the complexities of dealing with non-state actors, whose ideologies differ from conventional warfare. He remarked, “The situation in the Southeast is extremely difficult because it involves non-state actors… engaging them is different from conventional war because they are fuelled by ideologies that don’t present themselves boldly.”
He stressed the importance of community support in tackling asymmetric warfare, saying, “We are leveraging technology because human intelligence for us in asymmetric warfare is critical. That’s why I said you must get the buy-in of the communities.” He explained that if communities support these groups, military operations become more challenging. However, if people reject them and recognize their exploitative nature, it weakens their influence.
Musa concluded by reiterating the military’s commitment to addressing the challenges posed by Ekpa and other non-state actors while working to restore peace and stability in the Southeast.
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