The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Government in Exile (BGIE), who was arrested along with four others by Finnish authorities on Thursday, November 21, over terror-related activities.
Finnish police disclosed that Ekpa was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent,” while the four others were detained for “financing a terrorist crime.”
According to Crime Commissioner Otto Hiltunen of the Central Crime Police, “The detention demands are related to the preliminary investigation, in which a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, born in the 1980s, is suspected of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent. The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland through means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities, as well as other crimes in South-Eastern Nigeria.”
Hiltunen also noted that the suspect used social media channels to carry out these activities. He added that international cooperation was involved in the investigation, leading to the arrest of Ekpa and four others earlier in the week.
Reacting to the arrest, IPOB released a statement through its spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Friday, November 21, categorically denying any affiliation with Ekpa. The group accused him of recruiting violent criminals to destabilise the South-East region and creating the violent Biafra Liberation Army under his leadership of BGIE.
IPOB emphasised that Ekpa is not and has never been a member of its global movement. The statement read:
“The attention of the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been drawn to the arrest and subsequent claims by Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Government in Exile (BGIE), of being an IPOB member. To set the record straight, Simon Ekpa has never been a member of the IPOB family.
“Contrary to the malicious misinformation from the BBC, Simon Ekpa is not an IPOB leader or member. IPOB has family units in Finland, but Simon Ekpa is not registered in any IPOB unit globally. IPOB, established by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is a peaceful movement advocating for Biafra’s independence through a UN-supervised referendum.
“Despite provocations by various Nigerian regimes, IPOB has remained resolutely peaceful in its two decades of struggle. Unfortunately, some passionate Biafrans mistook Ekpa as a genuine supporter of the Biafra cause, only to realise he was a destructive agent working to infiltrate and destabilise IPOB’s peaceful movement.”
The group accused Ekpa of organising criminal gangs under BGIE to terrorise the South-East region. IPOB highlighted violent acts attributed to Ekpa’s group, including kidnappings, rapes, killings, and arson, noting that his activities tarnish the Biafra agitation.
“Simon Ekpa’s group has no alliance or relationship with IPOB. His violent approach contradicts IPOB’s peaceful methods, which rely on civil disobedience to press for a referendum as a vehicle for self-determination,” the statement continued.
IPOB also called on the BBC and Finnish authorities to avoid associating Ekpa with its movement, reiterating that IPOB opposes violent agitation.
“Simon Ekpa has been shielded from terrorism charges through diplomatic manoeuvring by the Nigerian and Finnish governments. However, justice will prevail in due time. IPOB members and supporters should remain calm and focused on our core objective: restoring Biafra’s sovereignty,” the statement concluded.
