Simon Ekpa, a self-acclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has responded to a statement made by Peter Obi on the sit-at-home directive in the south-east.

The proscribed separatist group introduced sit-at-home to demand the release of Kanu who is being detained by the Department of Security Services (DSS).

Ekpa had declared a total lockdown in the south-east geopolitical zone from July 3 to 10, instructing members of the proscribed group to interrupt business activities and prevent people from carrying out their daily work.

In a statement on Thursday, Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last elections, described the sit-at-home directive as the handiwork of a criminal enterprise, noting that IPOB has “publicly denied issuing such directive.”

“Also disturbing is the continued disruption of business and social activities in the South East region over the Sit-at-Home directive purported to be coming from the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, when the body has publicly denied issuing such directive,” Obi had said.

“What is going on in the south-east therefore is essentially a criminal activity that must be nipped in the bud, with all hands being on deck, security agencies, and the people alike.”

Reacting to Obi’s statement in a terse tweet, Ekpa said the former governor of Anambra has now become the spokesperson of the separatist group.

In the 2023 global terrorism index (GTI) ranking released in March 2023, IPOB was ranked as the 10th deadliest terror group in the world – with 40 attacks and 57 deaths in 2022.