African state accuses Finland of protecting separatist leader

The Nigerian government alleges that Simon Ekpa has been inciting violence in the country’s southeastern regions

The head of Nigeria’s armed forces, General Christopher Musa, has accused Finland of protecting Simon Ekpa, the leader of a separatist group whose actions Abuja claims are exacerbating security problems in the country’s troubled southeastern part.

Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish lawyer, is the designated prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), a separatist movement seeking independence from Africa’s most populous nation. Biafra existed as an independent nation from 1967 to 1970 in southeastern Nigeria, but lost its statehood after a brutal three-year civil war with the Nigerian military.

According to Musa and also local media reports, the Finland-based political activist has repeatedly called for protests in order to force the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group. Kanu has been detained since being arrested in Kenya and extradited in 2021, and is facing charges related to his activism and calls for Biafra’s secession.

Protests resulting from Ekpa’s actions often result in violence and deaths in the southeastern region, a number of local media reports have claimed.

In a briefing to Nigeria’s House of Representatives on the country’s security situation on Tuesday, Musa demanded that the government act immediately in response to Ekpa’s “disruptive” actions.

“Simon Ekpa has become a menace to this country. The country must act on it diplomatically. Finland is having a freeway encouraging him to do what he is doing. His utterances and actions are affecting what is happening in Nigeria. We should never allow that,” the general said.

The Finnish ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, must be summoned to clarify why her country continues to protect the separatist leader, Musa insisted.

“They must explain why they are protecting him and he is doing us more harm. Through his utterances, a lot of people are being killed. We cannot sit back and just keep quiet,” he added.

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had previously invited Pylvanainen for questioning over alleged threats made by the Biafra activist.

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Ekpa was arrested earlier this year at his home in Finland for allegedly inciting violence in southeastern Nigeria, which purportedly resulted in deadly attacks on candidates during the country’s February elections. Chukwu Oyibo, a senatorial candidate for the opposition Labor Party, was killed in the state of Enugu while returning from the campaign trail, and the car containing his body was set on fire.

Ekpa denied the charges and instead blamed the Nigerian government. He has since been released. The Finnish police said they were investigating him for a possible “money-collection” offense, among other things.

Parts of ethnic Igbo-dominated southeastern Nigeria have been plagued by security issues for years, which have been exacerbated by the conflict between the national army and the IPOB, which seeks to break away. The group has long complained about being marginalized and oppressed by the federal government.