Kehinde Fajobi
The Federal Government has announced its close monitoring of the legal proceedings involving Nigerian-Finnish citizen and leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, following his arrest in Finland on charges of inciting terrorism and promoting violence.
Ekpa was detained on Thursday, November 21, 2024, by Finnish authorities.
The Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme has ruled to hold him in detention on probable cause, citing allegations of inciting violence through social media platforms.
In a statement released on Friday and signed by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Government described Ekpa’s arrest as a crucial step in addressing IPOB’s influence and the role of transnational actors in Nigeria’s national security challenges.
“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, November 21, 2024,” the statement read.
“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 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.”
The Federal Government reiterated its prior diplomatic efforts, which had urged Finnish authorities to take action against Ekpa.
His activities have been linked to violent incidents in Nigeria’s South-East region.
The ministry pledged to provide updates as the legal proceedings unfold and to ensure that Ekpa’s alleged actions contributing to unrest in Nigeria are addressed under Finnish law.