The Finnish government has assured Nigeria of collaboration on the case of the factional leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, who resides in Finland.
Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, provided this assurance during a press briefing in Abuja.
Ekpa, who resides in Finland, leads a faction of IPOB known as Autopilot, which has been pushing for the creation of an independent state of Biafra, encompassing Nigeria’s South-East and parts of the South-South regions. He is also alleged to have played a key role in instigating violence in Nigeria, particularly through the enforcement of a controversial sit-at-home order and other attacks targeting security personnel.
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 included 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.
@The PUNCH
