The Finnish government is committed to working closely with the federal government on the case of the factional leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, who resides in Finland.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
This was disclosed by Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen when he and other foreign Ministers from Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and as well as representatives from Norway and Denmark met Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on Tuesday, August 13.
Ekpa, who is described as a Prime Minister leads a faction of IPOB known as Autopilot. The group has been pushing for the creation of an independent state of Biafra, carving out states from Nigeria’s South-East and parts of the South-South regions.
He is also alleged to have played a key role in instigating violence in Nigeria, particularly through the enforcement of a controversial sit-at-home order and other attacks targeting security personnel.
“It was a priority. There is no way Nigeria would engage with Finland without raising the issue of Simon Ekpa vociferously,” Tuggar said.
Valtonen emphasized that the case was being handled through Finland’s judicial system, which operates strictly by the rule of law.
“If you mean a specific person who is operating in Finland in a not very, say, constructive manner, then indeed we have taken this up and discussed this with the Nigerian authorities in full collaboration.
“And the entire process is within our judicial system, and in Finland, which operates very strictly by the rule of law, such as we see that Nigeria is doing as well.
“It is not a political question, but it is a question to the judicial system, and both our judicial systems do collaborate on this matter, and we hope that we will be able to close it soon,” Valtonen stated.
The visit of the five Nordic ministers was the first of its kind outside of Europe.
The delegation includes the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Tobias Billström; the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ms Elina Valtonen; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland; Ms Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir; the State Secretary for International Development, Norway, Bjørg Sandkjær, and Under Secretary for Foreign Policy, Denmark, Eva Marie Frida Barløse.
