Following the arrest of Simon Ekpa, the federal government has revealed plans to monitor legal proceedings and share updates on the terrorism case.
Ekpa’s arrest was revealed on Thursday, November 21, 2024, by the Finnish media, with the Central Criminal Police in Finland saying it arrested five persons on suspicion of terrorist crimes.
Conforming his arrest in a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called it a significant development in addressing IPOB’s activities.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa added that the case would be monitored and updates would be shared.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to confirm the arrest of Mr Simon Njoku Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by Finnish authorities on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
“He was charged with inciting terrorism and promoting violence. The Finnish District Court of Päijät-Häme ruled to detain him on probable cause for publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.
“The Ministry wishes to affirm that the arrest of Mr Simon Ekpa is a significant development in addressing the activities of IPOB, and also 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,” the statement reads.