FG confirms arrest of Simon Ekpa by Finnish authorities

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the arrest of Mr. Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and a prominent leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by Finnish authorities on Thursday, November 21.

The ministry disclosed this in a statement released by Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday, November 22, in Abuja. According to the statement, Ekpa was arrested on charges of inciting terrorism and promoting violence.

“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,” the statement said. “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.”

Ekpa, a Finnish politician and Biafran political activist, had in 2022 declared the activation of a Biafra Government in exile and proclaimed himself its leader in 2023 while in exile. Finnish authorities allege that Ekpa used social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda, incite violence, and encourage illegal actions, resulting in significant disruptions in Nigeria’s South-East region.

“Finnish investigators had also linked him to incidents of violence in Nigeria, which were believed to have been fueled by his online activities,” the ministry said.

The arrest follows sustained diplomatic pressure by the Nigerian government on Finland to address Ekpa’s activities, which have been linked to violence and instability in the South-East of Nigeria. “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 South-East of Nigeria,” the statement added.

The ministry emphasized that the request for action was a feature of high-level engagements between the two nations and described the arrest as a significant step in curbing IPOB’s activities and mitigating the influence of transnational actors on Nigeria’s national security.

“The ministry will continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses,” Ebienfa concluded.