FG Confirms Arrest Of Simon Ekpa
By Bukar BOLORI
The arrest of Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa in Finland has been confirmed by the federal government.
A statement on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peopleof Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by Finnish authorities on Thursday.
According to the statement, Ekpa wascharged with inciting terrorism and promoting violence.
The Finnish District Court ofPäijät-Häme ruled to detain him on probable cause for publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.
The Finnish authorities alleged that Mr. Ekpa used social media platforms to spreadseparatist propaganda, incite violence and encourage illegal actions, which had causedsignificant 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 statement said “the arrest of Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa follows sustained diplomaticpressure 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 requestfor action featured during high level engagements between countries.”
The Ministry stated that the arrest of Ekpa, is a significant development in addressing the activities of IPOB, and also neutralizing the influence of transnational actors and “their impact on our national security.”
The Ministry promised to continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses.
