Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed 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, 21 November 2024.
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 Mr. Ekpa used social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda, incite violence and encourage illegal actions, which had caused significant 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.
Confirming the arrest in a statement on Friday, the Ministry’s Acting Spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the arrest of Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa follows sustained diplomatic pressure 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.
He added that the request for action featured during high level engagements between countries.
In his words, “The Ministry wishes to affirm that the arrest of Mr. Simon 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 will continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses”, he concluded.
