The federal government will monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates on the case involving the fugitive leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, in Finland, describing it a step towards resolving the crisis in the South East region.
A statement issued on Friday by the acting spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said Ekpa was arrested and detained on Thursday by a Finnish Court on charges of inciting terrorism and promoting violence.
Part of the statement read: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to confirm the arrest of Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by Finnish authorities on Thursday, 21 November 2024. He was charged with inciting terrorism and promoting violence.
“The Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme ruled to detain him on probable cause for publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.”
The statement noted that the Finnish authorities alleged that Mr. Ekpa used social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda, incite violence and encourage illegal actions, which had caused significant disruptions in the South-East of Nigeria. Finnish investigators had also linked him to incidents of violence in Nigeria, which were believed to have been fueled by his online activities.
“The arrest of Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa follows sustained diplomatic pressure by the Nigerian government on Finland, to take action against his activities, which were linked to violence and instability in the South-East of Nigeria. The request for action was featured during high-level engagements between countries.
“The ministry wishes to affirm that the arrest of Mr. Simon Ekpa is a significant development in addressing the activities of IPOB, and also neutralising the influence of transnational actors and their impact on our national security.
