By Uche Amunike
Controversial agitator, Simon Ekpa, who has been threatening to disrupt the process of the much awaited 2023 Nigerian Elections through violence, has been arrested by the Finnish authorities, Thursday and taken in for questioning.
Reacting to Newsmen, Thursday, Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Leena Pylvänäinen, confirmed his arrest, stating: ‘Yes, it is our understanding, based on the news report by Helsingin Sanomat, that Mr Ekpa was taken in for questioning earlier today from his home in Lahti.’
The ambassador confirmed that the viral photograph of Simon Ekpa showing where he was being led by a team of the Finnish police had been verified by a Finnish media outfit, Helsingin Sanomat. This is, notwithstanding the fact that the Finnish Police does not release information concerning the identities of people undergoing questioning, as a matter of principle.
Recall that Ekpa who is a factional leader of the outlawed secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been seen constantly broadcasting his declaration of sit-at-home orders across the southeastern region, which will commence from February 23rd and end on February 28, threatening that the Nigerian elections will not hold in the region. He further threatened to unleash mayhem on anyone found going against the sit-at-home order given by him.
He claimed that the essence of the sit-at-home exercise which will prevent the Nigerian elections from being held in the region would help his faction of the secessionist group to achieve the sovereign state of Biafra for Igbo-speaking people in both the south-south and south-east region of the country.
Simon Ekpa’s threats have been quite disturbing to people in the Southeastern region, especially as this might be considered one of the most controversial electoral processes ever to be witnessed in the country. For the first time in the history of Nigerian elections, Nigerians are enthusiastic about being part of the process. The clamor for a sovereign Biafra state somehow began to dwindle, especially with the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader. The southeast had been gearing towards casting their votes, until Simon Ekpa made his declaration of the sit-at-home order, and threats to ‘deal’ with defaulters which placed fear into the minds of South-easterners.
Recently, the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, during a meeting with the Finnish ambassador,
stated that he was not happy about the recent order given by Ekpa to his group who have been responsible for the killings, destruction of property by burning and maiming recorded in the region so far.
His representative, Zubairu Dada, who is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, assured that if the Finland government did not do anything drastic about the threats dished out by Ekpa, the Nigerian government will not take it lightly with him.
His words: ‘It’s important to get to know that the 2023 elections are being threatened by the actions of someone and that something needs to be done immediately, to address the situation.’
‘This in essence is why we thought it was important for us to have this discussion with you, so as to let you know our concerns and the displeasure of the Government of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria on this very unhealthy development.’
