Following his detention in Finland on accusations of inciting terrorism and encouraging violence, Simon Ekpa, the self-styled prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, is the subject of court proceedings that the Nigerian government has declared it is closely monitoring.
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa.
Based on probable cause, the Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme ruled to hold Ekpa in custody, pointing to his alleged involvement in using social media to incite violence in southeast Nigeria.
The Nigerian government pledged to monitor the development of Ekpa’s legal case in a statement released on Friday by Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addressing the impact of IPOB, the Indigenous People of Biafra, and transnational players on Nigeria’s national security, the government underlined the importance of the proceedings.
Nigerian officials had previously put diplomatic pressure on Finland to stop Ekpa’s operations, which have been linked to violent episodes in the South-East region of Nigeria.
The statement said that the Nigerian government will keep the public informed about the case’s progress and make sure that Ekpa’s acts, which have fueled turmoil in Nigeria, are appropriately dealt with under Finnish law.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to confirm that Finnish police arrested Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish national and well-known figurehead of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
He was accused of encouraging violence and inciting terrorism. He was detained on probable cause by the Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme for encouraging acts with terrorist intent in public.
“The Ministry would like to confirm that Mr. Simon Ekpa’s arrest is a major step in combating IPOB’s activities and countering the influence of transnational actors and their impact on our national security.”
According to the statement, “The Ministry will continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses.”