We are taking action on Simon Ekpa’s case – Finnish govt

The Finnish government has announced that it is taking action against pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa for his secessionist actions with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in Nigeria's southeast.

Elina Valtonen, Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, made the announcement during a news conference in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, with her Nordic counterparts.

According to her, Ekpa's case, which was reported to the Finnish government by the Nigerian government, is currently before Finnish courts.

Self-proclaimed Biafra Prime Minister Ekpa has been a major supporter of sit-at-home instructions in the South Eastern states, despite the mainstream leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, discontinuing the exercise.

Ekpa was arrested in Finland in February 2023, just days before the presidential and national assembly elections, after threatening not to hold them in the South-East.

According to the Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat, Ekpa was arrested by police at his home in the country's Lahti province.

The separatists consistently announced that there would be no elections in the country's Southeast region and insisted on a Monday sit-in to protest the imprisonment of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, leader Nnamdi Kanu.

However, IPOB distanced itself from Finland-based Ekpa, who was scheduled for an interview before his detention.

He was eventually released and has been highly active on social media, posting pro-Biafran sentiments.

Valtonen was part of a team of Nordic ministers from Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark that visited Nigeria to strengthen commercial links.

The ministers stated that combating violent extremism in West Africa and attaining sustainable development goals are two areas of special emphasis.

The Nordic ministers, who are seeking to strengthen contacts on the African continent, continue their two-day visit to Ghana.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Biafra Government In-Exile, Simon Ekpa has alleged that there are assassination attempts against him.

Ekpa made the development known in a statement through his official X formerly Twitter handle on Tuesday.

He further claimed that a suicide bomber had been allegedly deployed from Abuja and headed for Finland.