The Defence Headquarters has commended the arrest of separatist leader Simon Ekpa by Finnish police.
In separate statements, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, and the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, both hailed the arrest as a significant victory in the ongoing fight against terrorism.
They added that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has expressed his satisfaction with Ekpa’s capture.
“CDS is happy with his arrest in Finland, with the hope this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria so that he will face justice,” Gusau said on Thursday.
“The CDS has always called for the arrest of Simon Ekpa following is deep involvement in fueling terrorism in SE Nigeria,” Buba said.
“We are delighted about his arrest, and glad that the international community is partnering with Nigerian in our fight against terrorism.”
On March 23, the Defence Headquarters of Nigeria declared Simon Ekpa wanted for inciting violence in the South-East region of the country.
He was listed alongside 96 other individuals identified as terrorists operating across Nigeria.
On Thursday, Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa, along with four others, on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and financing terrorism.
A district court in Lahti, Finland, ordered Ekpa’s remand, citing probable cause for public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent in Nigeria.
The court noted that the charges stemmed from Ekpa’s use of social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria.
The alleged offenses date back to August 23, 2021.
In addition, Finnish authorities have previously investigated Ekpa for financial crimes, including the collection of funds through questionable means.
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