The government of Finland has given an assurance to Nigeria of partnership on solving the case of the factional leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, who resides in Finland and terms himself Biafra Government In Exile.
Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs gave the assurance during a press briefing in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Simon Ekpa resides in Finland, and is leader of a faction of IPOB known as Autopilot, (BGIE) which has been at the fore of advocating the creation of an independent state of Biafra, which includes Nigeria’s South-East and parts of the South-South regions.
Ekpa has at various occasions been alleged of instigating violence in Nigeria, encouraging his followers to unleash violence against the people of Nigeria and the security forces.
Notably, Ekpa in recent times have encouraged violence in SE Nigeria through the enforcement of a sit-at-home order and other attacks targeting security personnel.
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Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, had on Tuesday engaged in high-level discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and as well as representatives from Norway and Denmark.
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.
Tuggar, after the discussion with the five nordic delegates confirmed that Ekpa issue was a central topic in his discussions with Valtonen.
“It was a priority. There is no way Nigeria would engage with Finland without raising the issue of Simon Ekpa vociferously,” Tuggar said.
Valtonen reaffirmed Finland’s commitment to working with Nigeria on the matter.
She emphasised that the case was being handled through Finland’s judicial system, which operates strictly in accordance with 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.
