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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
A Faction leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, has been arrested by the government of Finland but was later released.A source within the diplomatic circle confirmed the development to Daily Sun, yesterday.
Also, an email sent to Daily Sun from the Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, read: “Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish Newspaper, has reported today that they have seen Mr. Ekpa being escorted from his home by Finnish police officers in plainclothes.
“The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation has not provided any further details yet.”
An official of the Embassy of Finland in Abuja, while also responding via email, following Daily Sun’s enquiry, said: “Yes, the arrest of Simon Ekpa as reported in Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper, is true.” However, Daily Sun could not ascertain if Ekpa was released on bail or still being detained by the Finnish authorities at the time of filing this report.
Helsingin Sanomat, in its report titled ‘A Nigerian activist active in local politics in Lahti is suspected of a crime in Finland,’ said: “The Central Criminal Police confirms that it suspects the man arrested in Lahti, on Thursday, of a crime in Finland, but does not comment further on the matter at this stage.
“The Central Criminal Police arrested and took Simon Ekpa, a municipal politician from Lahti of Nigerian background, away from his home in the centre of Lahti.”
Ekpa’s activities, it would be recalled, formed the basis in which the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, met with the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, on February 14.
During the meeting, Dada, on behalf of the government, called on the Finnish government to take drastic action against the activities of Ekpa who lives in Finland, but sent inciting messages back home to instigate violence activities in part of the country, with the sole aim of disrupting the conduct of the 2023 general election.
Dada expressed displeasure over the orders given by Ekpa to his teeming followers whom he said, “consequently embarked on killings, maiming, burning and other destructive activities,” adding that Ekpa’s action was fast becoming a threat to the general elections.
