- Kalu urged south-east governors to deal ruthlessly with non-state actors’ criminal activities.
- He added that intelligence-driven strategies, not roadblocks, should be used to tackle crimes and ease commuters’ hardship.
Senator Orji Kalu, representing Abia north, has revealed that Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), threatened him for not supporting Biafra.
In an interview with Arise Television, Kalu stated that he disregarded Ekpa’s threats, choosing instead to follow his conscience.
He emphasised the need for security agencies to adopt proactive measures to combat crime.
“I am very strong-willed when it comes to security, and I can do anything to safeguard the lives and property of the people I rule,” Kalu said.
“You must be a strong leader to condemn crime, and I eradicated crime. No governor should tolerate any type of crime in his state; it is not allowed.”
Kalu stressed the importance of safety for Igbos. “Igbos must have safety on their hands. The Federal and State Governors should work towards that, and the Army should dismantle all the roadblocks in Igboland.”
He also emphasized the need for intelligence-driven security. “Where people will come with transport and stop on the road is no longer viable, that is no longer security. Security is about Intelligence.”
Kalu revealed that Ekpa had threatened him over his refusal to support Biafra. “Simon Ekpa was calling and threatening me that I don’t support Biafra, but I left him to his conscience.”
Kalu identified himself as a democrat and an Igboman at heart. “My conscience is that I am a democrat, an Igboman to heart, and I believe in this country and I believe in my tribe, where I come from, in Igbere.”
Kalu urged south-east governors to be resolute and ruthless in dealing with non-state actors, citing his own experience as governor of Abia state.
Ekpa was arrested by law enforcement in Finland on November 21.
He allegedly committed crimes in 2021 in Lahti, instigating violence and terror in Nigeria via social media.
A Finnish court sentenced him for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”
Nigerian authorities have been seeking Ekpa’s extradition for prosecution.
A Finnish district court has fixed May 2025 for the prosecution to file charges.
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