How Nigerian govt pressured Finnish authorities to arrest Simon Ekpa – Official

The Finnish police said Mr Ekpa “has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in South-eastern Nigeria.”

A pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, was arrested in Finland due to “sustained diplomatic pressure” by the Nigerian government on Finnish authorities, an official has said.

The spokesperson of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Arrest

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Ekpa was arrested alongside four others on Thursday on suspicion of terrorist activities.

The Finnish police said Mr Ekpa “has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in South-eastern Nigeria.”

The pro-Biafra agitator, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, heads Autopilot, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east.

‘Sustained diplomatic pressure’

“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,” Mr Ebienfa said.

The spokesperson said the “request for action” from the Nigerian government “featured during high level engagements between countries.”

‘We’re monitoring legal proceedings against Ekpa’

Mr Ebienfa said the ministry believes that Mr Ekpa’s arrest was a “significant development” in addressing the activities of IPOB and “neutralising 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 stated.

Different Nigerian officials including the foreign affairs minister, diplomats and military chiefs have at separate fora appealed to Finish authorities to arrest Mr Ekpa.

On Friday, IPOB disowned Mr Ekpa claiming he was never a member of the group.

“Simon Ekpa was never and is not an IPOB member, let alone being a leader in IPOB. IPOB has some family units in Finland, and Simon Ekpa is not a registered member of any IPOB unit in Finland or any other IPOB unit globally,” IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful said in a statement.

Ekpa’s history with IPOB?

Before now, Mr Ekpa often addressed himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader.

He was a member of the Kanu-led IPOB and had been announced as the director of the group’s pirate radio channel, Radio Biafra, to replace Mr Kanu after his rearrest and detention by the Nigerian government in 2021.

But shortly after his appointment, IPOB announced Mr Ekpa’s disengagement due to his alleged refusal to sign rules of engagement in the operation of the radio station.

The group broadcasts the ideology of the former breakaway republic, Biafra, through the pirate station, where they usually spew inciting messages and propaganda against the Nigerian government.

Irked by his removal from the position, Mr Ekpa formed Autopilot, a faction of IPOB.

In one X post, he claimed that the formation of IPOB Autopilot was sanctioned by Mr Kanu in 2020 before he (Mr Ekpa) “activated it” in 2021.

“The kidnapping of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu gave birth to IPOB Autopilot…” Mr Ekpa explained via an X post, then called Twitter.

The pro-Biafra agitator later declared himself as the prime minister of the BGIE and formed the Biafra Liberation Army, an armed militant group linked to attacks and killings in the South-east.

Mr Ekpa has repeatedly claimed responsibility for various attacks and killings in the region.