Orji Uzor Kalu, the lawmaker representing Abia North in the Senate has spoken about how Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), called and issued threats against him for not supporting the agitation for Biafra

The former Abia state governor made this disclosure during an interview with Arise Television on Monday.

Simon Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, was arrested by Finnish police on November 21, 2024, and subsequently imprisoned by the district court of Päijät-Häme.

He faces charges of spreading terrorist propaganda via social media in 2021, allegedly inciting violence and terror in Nigeria’s southeast region.

The federal government has been pressing for Ekpa’s extradition to Nigeria to face prosecution, while the Finnish court has set May 2025 as the deadline for filing charges against him.

Kalu, who urged security agencies to enhance intelligence operations, stressed the importance of proactive measures in combating crime.

He said, “I am very strong-willed when it comes to security, and I can do anything to safeguard the lives and property of the people I rule.

“You must be a strong leader to condemn crime, and I eradicated crime. No governor should tolerate any type of crime in his state; it is not allowed.

“Igbos must have safety on their hands. The federal government and state governors should work towards that, and the army should dismantle all the roadblocks in Igboland.

“Where people will come with transport and stop on the road is no longer viable; that is no longer security. Security is about intelligence.

“Simon Ekpa was calling and threatening me that I don’t support Biafra, but I left him to his conscience.

“My conscience is that I am a democrat, an Igbo man at heart, and I believe in this country, and I believe in my tribe, where I come from, in Igbere.”

Kalu asked the south-east governors to be resolute and ruthless in dealing with the activities of non-state actors.

Mrs Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of the 12-year-old Dowen college student, Sylvester, who died in 2021 as a result of alleged bullying in the school has reportedly died after a protracted illness.

Mrs Oromoni was reported to have suffered heartbreak and trauma over the loss of her youngest child.

Two years after her son’s passing, she reportedly succumbed to health complications attributed to heartbreak and trauma.

The late Sylvester Jnr. was allegedly a victim of severe bullying by senior students in the Lagos-based school, leading to his untimely death.

The family’s ongoing fight for justice has kept their tragic story in the public eye, but the latest loss has left the family in huge shock.

“For over two years, Mrs. Oromoni endured an overwhelming burden of grief, ” a family source who confirmed her death on Sunday, said.

According to the source, the emotional toll of losing her son deeply affected her health and she reportedly died on Monday 25, November, 2024..

“Despite medical care and the unwavering support of her family, she struggled to recover. Her sorrow was described as all-consuming, with many observing her inability to eat, sleep, or resume daily life.

“As time passed, her health deteriorated further. Friends and family revealed that Mrs. Oromoni had lost the will to live, with the pain of her son’s death and the ongoing quest for justice taking a devastating toll.

“Her condition worsened until she succumbed to complications on Monday, 25th November 2024.

“Her passing has been met with an outpouring of sorrow and sympathy, with many linking her untimely demise to the unrelenting grief she carried.

“The Oromoni family now faces the daunting task of mourning not only their young son but also a devoted mother whose life was cut short by the weight of her anguish.

“The death of Mrs. Oromoni has reignited public calls for justice for Sylvester Jnr., as supporters rally around the family in their time of need.

“Many see Mrs. Oromoni as a poignant symbol of the devastating impact of unresolved grief and the urgent need to address systemic failings that allow such tragedies to occur.

“As the Oromoni family continues their quest for justice, the memory of both mother and son now stands as a sobering reminder of the profound cost of injustice”, the family source wrote.

The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe has lamented about the high level of corruption in the nation.

The monarch urged those in leadership to put public interest above personal and individualistic desires, insisting that this is the only way Nigeria will grow.

He shared his concerns over the economic situation in the country in Abuja at the public presentation of a book,’Bold Leap’ authored by Senator Chris Anyanwu.

His Royal Majesty warned that with the increasing level of corruption in the country which is akin to milking a cow, the cow would soon die if incorruptible milking was not stopped.

He condemned the attitude of the political class towards accountability and good governance, likening it to the ignoble attitude to milking the cow continuously without replenishing and sustaining it.

The Obi of Onitsha said: “Should we continue milking the cow, it will die. In this country, since independence, we’ve been talking and talking and talking and talking and talking. I think it’s time we begin to think about doing something because we have two alternatives. Keep milking the cow until it dies, because of our sectional interests, which we tend to protect, and our personal interests. People go into public service, not to serve the public, but to serve their interests.

“Either we keep doing that and milk the cow to death, or we do the opposite and place Nigeria above everything else.

“And I would like to add that time is not too much in our favour. It’s either we milk the cow to death very, very fast, or we can turn around the country very, very fast.”

Bold Leap, which had a gathering of Nigerians made up of former Presidents, ex- Presidents of the Senate, past and present senators, and former governors is an autobiography of Senator Anyanwu with 600 pages, three parts, and 19 chapters.

President Bola Tinubu was represented by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Jisalo, the Chairman of the event and former President Olusegun Obasanjo was represented by former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; former President Goodluck Jonathan was represented by ex-President of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Jaja of Okpobo, former Senators, former Anambra State governors, Chris Ngige and Peter Obi, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF’s spokesperson, Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, Senators, Captains of Industry, among others were present at the event.