Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been arrested in Finland on charges of terrorism and inciting violence. The Federal Government is closely monitoring his case, according to a statement by Kimiebi Ebienfa, the acting spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ekpa, who declared himself the leader of the Biafran government in exile in 2023, has been accused of inciting terrorism and promoting violence. His arrest has been hailed by the Enugu government, which described him as a terrorist who knows nothing about Biafra.
It’s worth noting that Ekpa was also declared wanted by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in March 2024, along with 96 others, for their alleged roles in terrorism and violent crimes across the country.
The Enugu government has commended the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Finland on charges of terrorism and inciting violence. The Federal Government is closely monitoring Ekpa’s case, according to a statement by Kimiebi Ebienfa, the acting spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, was arrested for allegedly promoting violence and inciting terrorism. The Enugu government described him as a terrorist who lacks knowledge about Biafra. In 2022, Ekpa declared the activation of the Biafran government in exile, and in 2023, he proclaimed himself the leader while in exile.
“The ministry wishes to confirm the arrest of Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the proscribed IPOB, by Finnish authorities on Thursday, Nov. 21.
“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 Finnish authorities alleged that Ekpa used social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda, incite violence, and encourage illegal actions, which had caused significant disruptions in the southeast of Nigeria.
“Finnish investigators had also linked him to incidents of violence in Nigeria, which were believed to have been fuelled by his online activities.
“The arrest of Ekpa follows sustained diplomatic pressure by the Nigerian government on Finland to take action against his activities, linked to violence and instability in the southeast of Nigeria.
”It explained that the request for action featured during high-level engagements between the two countries.
“The ministry will continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses,” he said. (NAN)
Source: https://vanguardngr.com
