Simon Ekpa To Face International Terrorism Charge, Says Finland
Simon Ekpa To Face International Terrorism Charge, Says Finland
Finland has given Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu 48 hours to withdraw the sit-at-home order imposed on election days in the Southeastern region of Nigeria.
The directive is contained in a letter the Finnish Government sent to Ekpa which was signed by Prime Minister, Sanna Mirella Marin, and dated February 15, 2023.
In the letter which SaharaReporters obtained on Thursday morning, the Finnish Government warned that should Ekpa fail to withdraw the sit-at-home order which was imposed in protest against the continued detention of the IPOB leader in the custody of Nigeria’s secret police, Department of State Services (DSS), he would be charged with international terrorism.
Prime Minister Marin stated that the letter followed complaints by Nigerians in Finland and the Nigerian Government about his various pronouncements, using social media outlets to impose sit-at-homes in Nigeria.
The letter reads, “Following complaints by Nigerians in Finland and the Nigerian Government about your various pronouncements, using social media outlets, to impose sit-at-homes in Nigeria, you are hereby warned to desist from such nefarious activities which are capable of disturbing the peace and causing bloodshed.
“More worrying to the Finnish Government is your imposition of sit-at-homes on days slated for democratic elections in Nigeria. This is an act of international terrorism.
“You are hereby directed to call off your planned sit-at-homes by pronouncing through the same media outlets, you used for your illegal pronouncements, a reversal of your sit-at-home orders.
“Mr. Simon Ikpa, you have 48 hours to reverse course or you will be arrested and charged with international terrorism.”
“I have directed my Attorney General, Raija Toiviainen, to ensure that my directive is immediately carried out,” the Prime Minister warned.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs had summoned the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, over activities of the Nigerian-Finnish Biafran agitator, Ekpa.
The government expressed displeasure over the orders given by Simon Ekpa to his teeming followers to disrupt the forthcoming general elections in the West African country.
Pylvanainen said that the law enforcement agencies were in touch and were cooperating on Ekpa.
“We do have this irritant, as you call it on our bilateral agenda. And it is a topic on which we have been cooperating, our authorities have been cooperating, there have been contacts between the law enforcement agencies of Nigeria and Finland on this topic,” she said.
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Kanu, has been championing the restoration of the Biafra Republic and calling for the boycott of elections in the South-East region of Nigeria unless Kanu was released.
He has sustained Monday’s sit-at-home protest against the continued detention of Kanu in the custody of the DSS despite several court orders directing his unconditional release.
Recently, Ekpa declared five days of sit-at-home protests starting from February 23 to 28, a development that put fears in many Easterners that the presidential election could be derailed.
