The police in Finland have arrested Simon Ekpa, who proclaimed himself the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra or IPOB.
IPOB is a proscribed secessionist group seeking the breakaway of the people of the southeast extraction from Nigeria to form Biafra, their country.
Ekpa had for months boasted that he was above arrest in Finland for his incitement of violence in the southeast region because he holds Finnish citizenship.
His actions – inciting the killing of innocent people by armed secessionists who illegally and violently enforce a sit-at-home order every Monday against people’s wishes – had prompted several Nigerian lawyers to petition the Finish government and request his arrest.
But his arrest might have been triggered by his threat to sabotage Nigeria’s February 25 presidential election and others running till March 3.
Ekpa had said his boys would gravely punish any citizen in the southeast who participates or votes in the general election. His threats had prompted Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs to raise the issue with the Finnish Government during a recent meeting with Zubairu Dada, Finnish ambassador to Nigeria.
Ekpa proclaimed himself IPOB leader after the Nigerian Government arrested Nnamdi Kalu, leader of the group, on terrorism charges. He calls himself a disciple of Kanu and insists that elections must not hold in the region because the people want self-determination.
The police in Finland have arrested Simon Ekpa, who declared himself the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a banned secessionist group seeking the separation of southeast Nigeria to form Biafra. Despite holding Finnish citizenship and previously claiming immunity from arrest, Ekpa's incitement of violence and enforcement of a Monday sit-at-home order in the southeast prompted several Nigerian lawyers to petition the Finnish government for his arrest.
His recent threat to disrupt Nigeria's February 25 presidential election and related threats to punish southeast citizens participating in the elections likely triggered his arrest. Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs had recently discussed Ekpa's threats with the Finnish ambassador to Nigeria. Ekpa assumed leadership of IPOB following the arrest of its previous leader, Nnamdi Kalu, on terrorism charges, maintaining that elections should not be held as the region seeks self-determination.
