South East safer after Simon Ekpa’s arrest, Defence Chief claims

Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, has said that security in the South East has significantly improved since the arrest of pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, in Finland last year.

Ekpa, a Finland-based lawyer and self-styled leader of a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 on terrorism-related charges.

He had long been accused by Nigerian authorities of inciting violence in the South East through his frequent “sit-at-home” orders, which paralysed economic activities and were linked to deadly attacks in the region.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, General Musa confirmed that Ekpa is still undergoing prosecution in Finland.

He added that the Nigerian military has intensified operations to track down Ekpa’s loyalists across Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Abia states.

“When we talked about him, people felt we were just making it up. But since he had been arrested, the South East is getting better,” the defence chief said.

“So the likes of him, we’re going to go after them wherever they are, and whatever it takes, we’re going to bring them.”

General Musa also highlighted the military’s recent success in apprehending key commanders of Ansaru, an offshoot of Boko Haram, describing it as a product of increased collaboration among security agencies.

“That’s why the Ansaru guys, too, are a good win for all of us. There are other ones we are following. The other ones that we don’t talk about, we also look at them and pull them out,” he noted.

The defence chief further revealed that Nigeria will host a historic African Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference starting Monday, with military leaders from across the continent expected to converge in Abuja.

The meeting, he explained, will strengthen cooperation against terrorism, which has spread across several African countries.

“Mozambique is facing issues, Ghana is beginning to face issues, Burkina Faso, Mali, and all other areas. So it’s important that we come together as brothers and sisters, discuss our problems, and provide solutions,” Musa said.