The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that it is closely following the legal proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and a key figure in the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa on Thursday, November 21, on charges of terrorism and incitement to violence.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the acting spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the development.
According to the ministry, Ekpa is accused of using social media platforms to promote separatist propaganda and incite violence in Nigeria’s southeastern region. These actions, the Finnish government alleges, led to serious disruptions and violent incidents in the area.
The statement read: “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.
It described the arrest of Ekpa as a significant development in tackling the activities of IPOB and neutralising the influence of transnational actors and their impact on national security.
“The ministry will continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses,” he said. (NAN)
