Finland has given Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, 48 hours to lift the sit-at-home order imposed on election days in Nigeria’s Southeastern region.
The directive is contained in a letter sent to Ekpa by the Finnish Government, signed by Prime Minister Sanna Mirella Marin and dated February 15, 2023.
The Finnish government warned Ekpa in a letter obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday morning that if he did not withdraw the sit-at-home order imposed in protest of the IPOB leader’s continued detention in the custody of Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), he would be charged with international terrorism.
Prime Minister Marin stated that the letter was in response to complaints from Nigerians in Finland and the Nigerian government about his various pronouncements, which included using social media to impose sit-ins in Nigeria.
The letter reads, “Following complaints by Nigerians in Finland and the Nigerian Government about your various pronouncements, using social media outlets, to impose sit-at-homes in Nigeria, you are hereby warned to desist from such nefarious activities which are capable of disturbing the peace and causing bloodshed.
“More worrying to the Finnish Government is your imposition of sit-at-homes on days slated for democratic elections in Nigeria. This is an act of international terrorism.
“You are hereby directed to call off your planned sit-at-homes by pronouncing through the same media outlets, you used for your illegal pronouncements, a reversal of your sit-at-home orders.
“Mr. Simon Ikpa, you have 48 hours to reverse course or you will be arrested and charged with international terrorism.”
“I have directed my Attorney General, Raija Toiviainen, to ensure that my directive is immediately carried out,” the Prime Minister warned.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs had summoned the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, over activities of the Nigerian-Finnish Biafran agitator, Ekpa.
The government expressed displeasure over the orders given by Simon Ekpa to his teeming followers to disrupt the forthcoming general elections in the West African country.
Pylvanainen said that the law enforcement agencies were in touch and were cooperating on Ekpa.
“We do have this irritant, as you call it on our bilateral agenda. And it is a topic on which we have been cooperating, our authorities have been cooperating, there have been contacts between the law enforcement agencies of Nigeria and Finland on this topic,” she said.
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Kanu, has been advocating for the restoration of the Biafra Republic and has called for a boycott of elections in Nigeria’s South-East region unless Kanu is released.
He has maintained Monday’s sit-in protest against Kanu’s continued detention in DSS custody despite several court orders directing his unconditional release.
Ekpa recently declared five days of sit-in protests from February 23 to February 28, raising fears among many Easterners that the presidential election could be called off.