The Indigenous People of Biafra has dismissed any association with Simon Ekpa, who was recently convicted by a Finnish court for terrorism-related offences.
In a statement issued on Monday, IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, stressed that Ekpa’s activities and groups were entirely separate from IPOB and its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
“Simon Ekpa has never held any position in IPOB or the Eastern Security Network. He created his own contraptions, such as the so-called ‘Biafra Government in Exile’ and ‘Biafra Liberation Army,’ which IPOB has long repudiated,” the statement read.
Powerful accused the Nigerian government of attempting to use Ekpa’s conviction to undermine Kanu’s ongoing trial.
“The move to link Ekpa with IPOB is a ploy to compromise the judicial process. Authorities are trying to use this case to influence the ruling on our leader’s no-case submission scheduled for October 10,” Powerful alleged, describing the delay in judgment as “judicial hostage-taking.”
The group further called on the European Union, the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Finland to monitor developments around Kanu’s trial, insisting IPOB remains committed to “a peaceful pursuit of self-determination within international law.”
On Monday, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland sentenced Ekpa to six years imprisonment after finding him guilty of multiple offences, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and professional misconduct under the Lawyers Act.
The court also ordered his continued detention.
