The Finnish Government has initiated legal proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a prominent pro-Biafran activist, over his involvement with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its secessionist activities in Nigeria’s South-East region. 

This announcement was made by Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, during a joint press conference with her Nordic counterparts in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The Finnish government was informed of Ekpa’s activities by the Nigerian government, prompting the legal action.

Ekpa, who claims to be the Prime Minister of Biafra, has been a vocal advocate for sit-at-home directives in the South-Eastern states, despite the mainstream IPOB leadership suspending the exercise.

The legal action against Ekpa is a significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding IPOB’s secessionist activities and its impact on the South-East region.

The Finnish government’s move is seen as a response to the concerns raised by the Nigerian government and the need to address Ekpa’s role in promoting unrest in the region.

Ekpa’s activities have been a subject of concern for both the Nigerian and Finnish governments, and the legal proceedings in Finnish courts mark a crucial step in addressing the issues surrounding his involvement with IPOB.

In February 2023 days before the presidential and national assembly elections, Ekpa was arrested in Finland where he resides after threatening that the elections would not be held in the South-East.

Ekpa was arrested by the police in his residence in the Lahti area of the country, a Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat had reported.

The separatist repeatedly declared that there would be no elections in the Southeast region of the country and insisted on the observance of a sit-at-home every Monday in the area to protest the detention of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

IPOB, however, distanced itself from the Finland-based Ekpa who was reportedly billed for an interview before his arrest.

He was later released and has since been very active on social media where he posts his pro-Biafran messages.

Valtonen was part of a delegation of Nordic Ministers including Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, as well as Denmark who visited Nigeria to deepen trade ties between the countries.

The ministers noted that countering violent extremists in West Africa and achieving sustainable development goals is among the areas of special focus.

The Nordic ministers who are looking to crystallize relations on the African continent continue their two-day trip in Ghana.