This commitment was made by Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, during a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Simon Ekpa, based in Finland, leads a faction of IPOB called Autopilot, which advocates for the creation of an independent Biafra state, covering Nigeria’s South-East and parts of the South-South regions.
Ekpa is also accused of inciting violence in Nigeria, particularly through enforcing a contentious sit-at-home order and orchestrating attacks against security forces.
On Tuesday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, held high-level talks with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, along with representatives from Norway and Denmark.
The delegation included Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tobias Billström; Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen; Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir; Norway’s State Secretary for International Development, Bjørg Sandkjær; and Denmark’s Under Secretary for Foreign Policy, Eva Marie Frida Barløse.
Following discussions with the five Nordic ministers, Tuggar confirmed that the issue of Simon Ekpa was a key topic in his conversation with Valtonen.
“It was a priority. Nigeria could not engage with Finland without bringing up the issue of Simon Ekpa emphatically,” Tuggar remarked.
Valtonen reiterated Finland’s dedication to cooperating with Nigeria on this issue.
She stressed that the matter is being addressed through Finland’s judicial system, which operates under the strict rule of law.
“If you’re referring to a particular individual operating in Finland in a manner that is not very constructive, then yes, we have discussed this with the Nigerian authorities in full cooperation.
“And the entire process is within our judicial system, which, like Nigeria’s, operates strictly by the rule of law.
“This is not a political issue but one for the judicial system, and both of our judicial systems are collaborating on this matter, with the hope that it will be resolved soon,” Valtonen explained.
This visit by the five Nordic ministers marked the first of its kind outside Europe.
