Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra agitator, has claimed responsibility for the killing of four police officers in Owerri, Imo State, in south-east Nigeria.
The attack occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Monday along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, where gunmen killed the officers and a woman, a Point of Sale (PoS) machine operator.
Ekpa, a Nigerian based in Finland, leads Autopilot, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He also founded the Biafra Defence Forces and the Biafra Liberation Army, armed militant wings of Autopilot IPOB, and has been linked to several deadly attacks in the region.
In a post on his X handle shortly after the attack, Ekpa announced that members of his Biafra Defence Forces were responsible for killing the officers in Owerri.
“The Biafra Defence Forces Owerri Command has recovered weapons from the terrorists after neutralising them in numbers,” he wrote on the microblogging platform at exactly 8:50 p.m. on Monday.
“If you think you will continue to use force and terrorism tactics to force us to remain in the union, this will continue to be your faith in Biafraland,” Mr Ekpa stated, referring to the latest attack on the police.
Ekpa also attached a video clip to his X post.
The clip displayed four rifles and several police case files, allegedly shown by individuals who claimed responsibility for the attack and killing of the operatives.
However, the faces of the individuals speaking in the background were not visible in the video.
“Papa, it wasn’t easy. You know today is the beginning of sit-at-home (in the South-east). People were asked to sit at home, and these people (police operatives) came out to extort people,” one person said in the Igbo language.
“These are Nigerian terrorists who were at their duty post despite our leader’s sit-at-home order. But they felt they work for the government and would not obey the order,” he stated.
“They have now seen it happen today in Owerri, which is 29 July 2024.”
One of the armed men added: “Our leader earlier told you, people, that any police or army operative in Biafraland, it is better you resign or we will use your head to work.”
On July 21, Mr. Ekpa declared a four-day sit-at-home across the five states in the South-East.
In a statement posted on his X handle, the Finland-based Nigerian announced that the order would be enforced from July 29 to August 2, excluding August 1.
