Prominent Biafran separatist leader Simon Ekpa has once again found himself in the news, but this time for the wrong reasons. Recent accusations of inciting violence against citizens and public authorities in southeast Nigeria led to the arrest of the Finnish-Nigerian activist in Finland together with four other individuals. Additionally, since 2021, he has been accused by the Finnish police of disseminating terrorist propaganda on social media.
Ekpa has caused division by promoting his pro-Biafra agenda on social media. But in other regions of Nigeria, his speech has been connected to violent acts, including as the imposition of unlawful sit-at-home orders, which have resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods. He is currently being held longer by the Finnish police as they do their investigation.
Nigerians have responded in a variety of ways to the news of his arrest. Many people think it’s past overdue. “The world finally gets to see what we’ve been up against.” “He’s been causing chaos here while sitting comfortably abroad,” a Twitter user wrote.
On social media, some Nigerians also praised Finnish officials for their action. One Facebook user wrote, “At least someone has taken action against him if our own government was powerless to do so.”
It is evident that many people believe that Ekpa’s arrest is a step in the right direction toward bringing peace back to the impacted areas. Others, meanwhile, question if this will have a substantial impact on reducing the violence that his activities are said to have incited.
Nigerians are currently waiting for the results of the ongoing investigations and court cases in the hopes that they will put an end to the annoyance that many people think Simon Ekpa has created.
