Rita Odafe
Charles Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, disclosed on Saturday that Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed Biafra activist based in Finland, is still actively involved in kidnapping for ransom.
He pointed out that kidnapping has become a lucrative business, surpassing even drug trafficking and oil production in profitability.
During his speech in Awka, Soludo mentioned that prior to his governorship, eight local government areas were under the control of armed groups.
He recounted his father’s kidnapping incident that took place in 2009.
Soludo stated, “This issue is not new; my father was kidnapped back in 2009. Many others, including GU Okeke and Pokobros, have also faced similar fates.”
“Before I took office, gunmen dominated about eight local government areas, killing police officers and seizing their firearms, attacking and burning police stations, and hiding in the bushes, falsely claiming to be liberators.”
“Upon our arrival, we took significant action, reclaiming the territories that were besieged. These armed groups refer to themselves as Biafra freedom fighters. Despite IPOB distancing themselves from these activities, Simon Ekpa persists in his kidnapping operations.”
“Currently, kidnapping for ransom is the most profitable venture—significantly more than drugs and oil. For every naira reported as ransom, five to six naira goes unreported.”
“In a society that values wealth without a foundation of hard work, even kidnappers are being celebrated. This idolization of criminality has become an unsettling phenomenon in the South-East, where no values seem to hold sacred anymore.”
