06-03-2025
Nigeria freeze Ipob promoter Simon Ekpa, Lakurawa group, odas bank accounts
Nigeria goment don list about 17 individuals on di Nigeria Sanction List and freeze dia accounts on activities wey surround issues of terrorism.
Simon Ekpa wey be promoter of di proscribed militant group Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (Ipob) wey land prison for Finland on charges of alleged terrorist activities, dey among di individuals wey Nigeria govment freeze dia assets.
Also, Lakurawa wey be a newly formed armed group wey dey claim jihad for Northwest Nigeria, dey among di affected groups wey dey listed on di Nigeria Sanction List.
On Thursday, Nigeria goment inside one meeting for Abuja take di decision say di 17 affected individuals and entities gatz report to di Nigeria Sanction Committee.
Di Nigeria Sanctions Committee dey act in accordance to Section 54 of di Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Di section tok say di committee go 'immediately, identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any oda economic resources wey belong to di designated pesin or entity for dia possession and report same to di Sanctions Committee.'
Anoda part of di section also tok say "di freezing obligation shall extend to all funds or oda assets wey dey owned or controlled by di designated person or entity, and not just dose wey dey tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing".
Di committee go immediately freeze accounts, assets and oda economic resources wey belong to Simon Ekpa, Lakurawa group and oda 15 individuals and groups wey dey di Sanction List.
"For designated entities, dis go include accounts linked to dia signatories and directors to ensure comprehensive enforcement of di sanctions regime."
Accounts linked to di signatories of di entities go also dey freeze so dem go fit enforce di sanction well, according to di Sanctions Committee.
Rememba say for March 2024, Nigerian army declare Ekpa and 96 oda wanted for terrorism, violent extremism and secessionist threats.
And den for November 2024, Finnish detectives say Ekpa ginger "violence against civilians and public authorities and oda crimes for south-east Nigeria" while im dey Finland.
Full list of individuals and groups on di Sanction List
Di affected individuals and entities gatz do di following conditions, according to di committee:
Dem dey required to report to di Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions wey dem take in compliance wit di prohibition requirements.
Dem must immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report to di NFIU for further analysis on di financial activities of such an individual or entity.
Dem gatz report as a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU, all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or afta receipt of dis List.
"Di freezing obligation required go extend to all funds or oda assets wey dey owned or controlled by di designated persons and entities, and not only dose wey dey tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing."
Wetin to know about di Nigeria Sanctions Committee
According to information wey dey available for di website of di Nigeria Sanction Committee, dem dey setup to implement financial sanctions wey dem label as Targeted Financial Sanctions.
Targeted Financial Sanctions (TFS) dey designed to deny any individuals or entities associated wit terrorism, terrorism financing and financing of di proliferation of weapons of mass destruction access to assets, funds, equipment or support.
Na di Attorney-General of di Federation and Minister of Justice dey chair di Nigeria Sanctions Committee and e dey empowered to make all necessary, regulations, guidelines, procedures and rules for di implementation of di United Nations Security Council Resolutions for Nigeria
Who be Simon Ekpa?
Simon Ekpa na Nigerian-Finnish Biafran agitator wey be self-acclaimed disciple of detained leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Ekpa wey dey live for Finland dey champion di restoration of Biafra Republic and calling on Igbo pipo wey dey for southeast to boycott di general elections unless di Federal Goment release Kanu.
Ekpa for im Twitter page describe imsef as human rights activist, CEO, senior legal advisor at Ekpa & Co Oy, legal researcher, author, analyst, Finnish politician and Biafra tok-tok pesin.
