The Finnish government has indicated a willingness to act on Nigeria’s strong petition regarding the subversive activities of Mr. Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian national resident in Finland.
Ekpa, a former United States Marine, is the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafran Government in Exile (BGIE).
Mr. Simon Ekpa, who calls himself an apostle of secessionist leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently in jail in Nigeria, has been demanding Kanu’s release. He instituted an eerie Sit-At-Home in the South-Eastern Nigeria—a region that was part of a defunct Republic of Biafra—every Monday.
Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister, Elina Valtonen, said the Finnish government is now taking action regarding Simon Ekpa’s case, which is currently being processed in a Finnish court.
In February 2023, shortly before Nigeria’s last presidential election, Ekpa was taken into custody in Lahti, Finland, because of his demands that federal elections not be held in his homeland. He was later released.
Mr. Ekpa, however, seems to have fallen out with Mr. Kanu’s organization, – the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), which had sought to distance itself and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu from the more radical approach to the self-rule agitation of Mr. Ekpa.
Mr. Valtonen’s comment came during a meeting of Nordic Foreign Ministers with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Ambassador Yusuf M. Tuggar on Wednesday August 14.
The Nordic countries, which include Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark – also referred to as the N5, are seeking deeper economic collaboration with West African countries. Their two-day visit next takes them to Ghana.
Simon Ekpa Reacts
Reacting to the announcement, an undeterred Ekpa quickly issued a statement denouncing journalists who reported on the event.
“You now have new topic for the week. I have over 50million Biafrans who voted for self-referendum. On whose interests are you reporting your junks? You will all be put to shame on social media action“, he said.
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