By Joy Odor
The Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has described the arrest of Simon Njoku Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a significant development in addressing the activities of IPOB.
In a press statement by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Acting Spokesperson of MFA on Friday in Abuja informed that the move would neutralize the influence of transnational actors and their impact on Nigeria national security.
“Ekpa’s arrest is seen as a response to diplomatic pressure from Nigeria, with the Finnish government finally taking action against his activities.
“The arrest follows sustained diplomatic pressure by the Nigerian government in Finland to take action against Ekpa’s activities, which were linked to violence and instability in the South-East of Nigeria.
“Ekpa was detained by the Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme on probable cause for publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.
“Finnish investigators 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” he said.
MFA therefore assured that it would continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses.
The statement opined that Nigerian government would be working to address the security challenges posed by the group which is seen as a major breakthrough in those efforts.
Recall that the Nigerian government had been pushing for Ekpa’s arrest, citing his role in fueling violence and instability in the region”.
