…CDS happy over Ekpa detention in Finland
Nigerian military has welcomed with delight the news of the detention in Finland of self acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa by an order of court.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa expressed happiness on the arrest of the Nigerian separatist agitator and four other individuals in Finland over terror-related activities.
Director Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau in a terse press statement said the Defence Chief is happy with the arrest of Simon Ekpa in Finland.
“CDS is happy with his arrest in Finland, with the hope this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria so that he will face justice.”
General Musa had sometimes in June 12, 2024 had called on the federal government to take decisive action, including exploring diplomatic options to curb the menace of the factional leader of the IPOB.
“We have repeatedly complained about the issue of Simon Ekpa. He is in Finland, and the Finnish government is giving him all the support, and he is doing what he is doing,” the CDS said.
“The comments he is making mean people are being killed and nothing is being done. This is democracy.
“If the European Union is supporting democracy and this is happening and they are not taking action, then they don’t mean well for Nigeria,”
Simon Ekpa the leader of Biafra agitation movement in diaspora was detained by the order of court in Finland.
According to a report in Finnish media Simon Ekpa sits on Lahti’s public transport committee as a member of the National Coalition party, and has become a figurehead for a separatist movement in Nigeria.
On Thursday, the Päijät-Häme District Court held a hearing in which five people are suspected of terrorist offences. One of the suspects is Simon Ekpa (face covered in the photo), a local politician from Lahti. Image:
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian municipal politician, has been detained by the Päijät-Häme District Court on probable cause for incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. The alleged offense occurred in Lahti on 23 August, 2021.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also seeking the detention of four additional men on terrorism-related charges.
Ekpa, who has represented Finland’s National Coalition Party (NCP) in local roles, currently serves on Lahti’s public transport committee. He is also known for leading a separatist group in Nigeria advocating for the establishment of an independent Biafran state in the country’s southeast.
According to the NBI, Ekpa is suspected of using his leadership position in a Nigerian separatist group to promote actions that have led to violence against civilians and authorities in southeastern Nigeria. These efforts are believed to have been coordinated from Finland, including through Ekpa’s social media channels.
“This activity has been carried out, among other means, via social media channels,” said Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen in a statement.
The NBI stated that its investigation focuses on a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent, born in the 1980s, suspected of publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent. The police also suspect four other individuals of financing terrorism. All five were apprehended earlier this week.
Among the suspects, Ekpa resides in the Lahti region, while two others have addresses in Helsinki. One suspect has no registered address in Finland.
History of controversy
Ekpa has previously been implicated in criminal activities. In 2023, Finnish police detained him on suspicion of fundraising fraud but released him later the same evening.
Ekpa’s separatist activism has drawn global attention, particularly his calls to boycott Nigerian elections.
“No elections will be held! Nigerian elections will not be allowed in Biafran territory in 2023,” he declared in a video on social media.
Ekpa has also publicly justified the use of violence.
“I support violence against Nigerian government forces. This is self-defence. They constantly attack us and have committed numerous war crimes. We have no choice but to defend ourselves,” he stated.
Party responds
NCP Secretary Timo Elo declined to comment on Ekpa’s possible membership of the party.
“We never say who is and who isn’t our member. That is confidential information,” Elo told Yle.
Elo did however say that if a member of the party was suspected of terrorism offences, that would likely lead to their expulsion.
According to Elo, Ekpa’s role on the public transport commission, for example, should be assessed locally.