Finland govt fulfills threat, arrests IPOB’s leader, Simon Ekpa

By KEMI KASUMU

After several days of denial of Finnish government’s threat of Nnamdi Kanu’s successor as leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with arrest and prosecution for international terrorism over his role in killings through Sit-at-Home and election disruptions in Nigeria, the truth came to the open on Thursday as news of the terrorist leader’s arrest in Finland spread.

The IPOB leader, who took over from Nnamdi Kanu, was reportedly arrested in Finland by the International Police popularly called the InterPol.

Ekpa, an indisputably biggest international fund mobiliser for the terrorist group, was reportedly arrested at Finland International Airport while trying to fly to Israel.

This was coming after many Nigerians called for his arrest over the killings and Sit-at-Home orders he reportedly instituted that has crippled activities in the South East region of Nigeria.

Finnish publication, Helsingin Sanomat, it was gathered, reported that they arranged an interview at Ekpa’s apartment near the Lahti market square, for him to explain what his separatism and opposition to elections are all about.

However, after Ekpa’s neighbour opened the door, they saw the police from the National Bureau of Investigation inside.

“The interview will be postponed indefinitely,” a police officer told the media men.

According to the Finland news outlet, Helsingin Sanomat, the police escorted the terrorist leader out of his apartment in Lahti.

In the meantime, a media report in Nigeria said that an official of the Finnish Embassy in Abuja, who spoke on the ground of anonymity, confirmed Ekpa’s arrest on Thursday.

“It is our understanding that he is currently in police custody in Finland,” the official who is not authorised to speak to the press, reportedly said.

“According to information available to us, the image is verified by Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper; in it, Ekpa is seen being escorted out of his home in Lahti by plainclothes Finnish police”, the official volunteered.

Before his eventual arrest on Thursday, Nigerians all over the world had signed a petition appealing to the Finnish government, Nigerian Government and the European Union to arrest Ekpa, the brain behind the Sit-at-Home order in the South East.

Ekpa, a self-acclaimed disciple of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, had repeatedly ordered the people of the South East to observe a Sit-at-Home and asked them to boycott the country’s general elections billed for Saturday February 25 and March 11.

His repeated Sit-at-Home order has been marked by bloodshed and destruction of lives and properties in the region by its enforcers.

It was gathered that the Nigeria’s Federal Government had on February 15 summoned the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, over “hate speech and incisive comments” by Ekpa.

At the meeting with Pylvanainen, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, reportedly said Ekpa’s action was fast becoming a threat to the forthcoming election, and that the Federal Government would not take it lightly with him and the Finland government if nothing drastic is done.

“We thought it was important for us to have this chat with you to let you know that, of course, he is living in the comfort of his home there in Finland and we know that we have been in touch with your good self.

“We have had some time to ensure that we arrest this situation but it appears the situation is getting out of hand. And we are saying enough is enough. We should let you know, in very strong terms that it is high time you really back Nigeria with the quest that something is done immediately because he threatens the forthcoming elections.

“The sad thing is that this gentleman has a lot of followers out there. And the moment he issues these instructions, what happens is that you have destructions the very next day. They embark on killings and burning and you name it. And we believe this is not acceptable.

“It’s important to get to know that these 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,” the minister, who was represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, had told Pylvanainen, according to PUNCH.