“Simon Ekpa Has Continued Kidnapping for Ransom” – Soludo

Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo has accused Finland-based Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa of persisting in kidnapping for ransom. Speaking in Awka on Saturday, Soludo described kidnapping as a booming criminal enterprise, now more profitable than drug trafficking and oil-related crimes.

The governor revealed that before he took office, eight local government areas in Anambra were under the control of gunmen. These groups, he said, attacked police stations, killed officers to seize weapons, and retreated into the bush, portraying themselves as freedom fighters. However, Soludo emphasized that his administration had successfully reclaimed these areas.

Recalling his personal experience with kidnapping, Soludo mentioned that his own father was abducted in 2009, along with other notable figures like businessman G.U. Okeke and the Pokobros family. He also noted that while the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had distanced themselves from criminal activities, Ekpa had persisted in using kidnapping as a means of extortion.

The governor warned that for every naira reported as ransom payment, five to six times that amount goes unreported, reflecting the scale of the crisis. He lamented a growing culture that glorifies wealth without hard work, stating that even criminals are now celebrated in society. Additionally, he pointed to the rise of idolatry among criminals, calling it the fastest-growing “religion” in the South-East, where nothing remains sacred.