Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), has firmly dismissed allegations made by Simon Ekpa, a leader of the Biafra separatist movement. Ekpa claimed that she facilitated a $57.5 billion loan from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE).

In a tweet that garnered widespread attention on X (formerly Twitter), Ekpa asserted that both the IMF and World Bank had agreed to extend this substantial loan to support the Biafra secessionist movement in anticipation of declaring the Biafra Republic on December 2, 2024. He expressed gratitude to Okonjo-Iweala, stating, “The World Bank and IMF have agreed to loan the sum of $57.5 billion to the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) to form our government after the December 2nd, 2024 declaration of Biafra. I thank our sister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for helping me facilitate the loan.”

In a prompt response on her X page, Okonjo-Iweala categorically denied the claims. Sharing Ekpa’s tweet, she remarked, “I know no sensible person will believe what is contained in the outrageous tweet below, but in these troubled times, it is important to underscore that the statement is false. Again, I enjoin all those seeking to misuse my name to desist!”

Following her rebuttal, Ekpa took to X to assert that he did not author the tweet concerning the purported loan, alleging that others had fabricated the message. However, he criticized Okonjo-Iweala for addressing what he labeled a fake tweet while remaining silent on the issues confronting the Ndigbo people in Nigeria.

In his response, Ekpa stated, “Dear Madam @NOIweala, I never tweeted such. It is even surprising that you can tweet this because your name was mentioned. We have been tweeting about the Nigerian terrorism against your people, and you never responded nor showed any remorse. Here you are, defending what nonentities did with your name, but have been mute about all the killings by the government you served.”

He further commented, “I congratulate you for always defending yourself and your integrity, even when they are photoshopped. It shows you are really a mother. Thank you for defending yourself, but I never tweeted such a thing. It is false and fake.”