Nigerian officials say they will seek the extradition of a controversial leader of a banned secessionist movement in Nigeria, following his arrest in Finland on terrorism charges.
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent, says he leads an exile faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) – a group fighting for a breakaway state in southeastern Nigeria.
Nigerian authorities want him “brought to justice” in Nigeria, where he is accused of using social media to incite violence.
Ekpa has previously denied any link to the current killings and violence in southeastern Nigeria, where a bloody civil war was fought in the late 1960s.
He allied himself with Ipob and described himself as the “Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Biafra in Exile”.
However, Ipob, which is banned in Nigeria, has distanced itself from Ekpa.
In March, the Nigerian military said Ekpa and 96 others were wanted for terrorism, violent extremism and secessionist threats.
Ekpa lives in the city of Lahti, north of the Finnish capital Helsinki, where he serves as a local representative for the Finnish conservative National Coalition Party, according to the AFP news agency.
On Thursday, Finnish investigators said he had incited “violence against civilians and government authorities and other crimes in southeastern Nigeria” in Finland.
“He has carried out this activity by, for example, campaigning on his social media channels,” said Otto Hiltunen, head of the Finnish National Investigation Agency.
Detectives said the investigation involved international cooperation, but they did not clarify whether Nigeria was involved.
Four other people were also taken into custody on suspicion of financing Ekpa’s activities.
It is not clear whether Nigerian authorities have yet made a formal extradition request, but several senior officials have made clear they expect him to be tried in the West African country.
“Thank you Finland. Goodbye Prime Minister,” Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, posted on Platform X in a mocking reference to Ekpa’s self-awarded title.
The Nigerian military has hailed Ekpa’s arrest, describing it as an “important victory” in the fight against terrorism, local media reported.
Tukur Gusau, an army spokesman, said army chief Christopher Musa “was pleased with his arrest in Finland, hoping that this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria to face justice.”
Edward Buba, the Director of Defense Media Operations, said: “We are delighted by his arrest and pleased that the international community is working with Nigeria in our fight against terrorism.”
Nigeria has previously made unsuccessful attempts to extradite Ekpa and face prosecution.
Last February, Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa after he threatened to disrupt the 2023 Nigerian general election, but he was released after a brief interrogation.
The Nigerian military subsequently accused the Finnish government and the European Union of protecting Ekpa.
But a Finnish envoy said at the time that while the European country was concerned about Ekpa’s activities, his rights as a Finnish citizen should be taken into account.
Ekpa has a significant following in parts of southeastern Nigeria, which have been hit by instability for years due to the conflict between Ipob and the security forces.
He has repeatedly called for sit-at-home protests against the Nigerian government.
Ekpa rose to national prominence after he announced on his Facebook page in 2021 that Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu had tasked him to take up the role of broadcaster on the group’s radio station, Radio Biafra.
Kanu has been in custody since 2021 when he was arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria for trial.
Founded in 2012 as a peaceful movement, Ipob launched an armed wing in 2020, saying it did so to defend the Igbo ethnic group, though critics say it has unleashed violence that has caused immense suffering.
A Nigerian court has labeled the organization a ‘terrorist’ organization.
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