Simon Ekpa a factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been arrested in Finland by the international Police popularly called “Interpol”.
Ekpa was allegedly apprehended at Finland’s international airport while attempting to fly to Israel. This comes after many Nigerians demanded his arrest in connection with the alleged killings and sit-at-home orders he imposed, crippling activities in Nigeria’s South-East region.
According to the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, they arranged an interview at Ekpa’s apartment near the Lahti market square for him to explain his separatism and opposition to elections.
When Ekpa’s neighbor opened the door, they saw the National Bureau of Investigation officers inside. “The interview has been postponed indefinitely,” a police officer told reporters. When asked if this is due to the length of the interrogations or the inability to meet the person we are looking for after them, the police officer replied, “both, and the KRP does the job here.”
When police officers in civilian uniforms led Simon Ekpa out of the apartment, a cameraman on the scene confirmed the development.
The National Bureau of Investigation’s Tommi Reen later told the publication over the phone that the KRP had a police operation on Thursday in a private residence in the center of Lahti in connection with an ongoing pre-trial investigation. One man was apprehended from the apartment by police. The KRP suspects the arrested man of a crime but does not comment on the crime title at this time.
Reen did not confirm the man’s identity and only spoke in broad strokes about the operation, which took place in an apartment in the heart of Lahti. He didn’t say anything else.
It was also reported that NIGERIA had requested that Finland intervene in Ekpa’s operations. The Nigerian Foreign Minister invited Finnish Ambassador Leena Pylvänäinen to a meeting on the subject last week. Jussi Nummelin, team leader for West and Central Africa at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, told HS a week ago on Thursday that Finland shares concerns about security and condemns violence and incitement to it, as well as “actions aimed at preventing people from exercising their democratic rights”.
It is unclear whether he will be returned to Nigeria to answer for his alleged crimes.
