Nigerian govt confirms arrest of fugitive Simon Ekpa in Finland

The Federal Government on Friday confirmed the arrest of the confessed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, by the Finnish authorities.

The acting spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

He said Ekpa was arrested on Thursday on charges of inciting terrorism and promoting violence.

Ekpa in 2022 declared activation of the Biafra government in exile and himself leader in 2023 while in exile.

The statement read: “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, November 21.

READ ALSO: Simon Ekpa is a terrorist, con man who knows nothing about Biafra —Enugu govt

“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 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.

“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.”

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