Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) factional leader Mr. Ekpa has consistently issued sit-at-home orders throughout the South-east, asserting that there won’t be any elections in the area in 2023.
The IPOB agitator recently announced a sit-at-home protest from February 23 to 28 in an apparent attempt to halt the holding of the general elections in the area in 2023.
The 25th of February is the scheduled date for the presidential election.
He said that the instructions to stay at home and the postponement of the 2023 elections in the area will enable his IPOB faction in establishing the sovereign state of Biafra for Igbo-speaking people in South-east and South-south Nigeria.
Mr Onyeama, at the meeting, expressed displeasure over the recent sit-at-home orders given by Mr Ekpa to his teeming followers, who he said, consequently embarked on killings, maiming, burning and other destructive activities.
Mr Onyeama, represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, said Mr Ekpa’s action was fast becoming a threat to the forthcoming election, and that the Nigerian government would not take it “lightly” with him and the Finland government if nothing “drastic” was not done about his threats.
In response to threats made by Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa to halt the general election in Nigeria’s southeast in 2023, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday summoned Finland’s ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen.
According to reports, Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, met with Mrs. Pylvanainen, the Finnish ambassador to Nigeria, to discuss the threats made by the factional IPOB leader.
In order to let you know that, of course, he is living in the comfort of his own house there in Finland and that we are aware that we have been in contact with you, Mr. Onyeama said, “We believed it was necessary for us to have this talk with you.”
The factional leader of IPOB has a sizable online following, the foreign affairs ministry remarked.
“It’s crucial to understand that someone’s actions are endangering the 2023 elections, and that as a result, something urgently needs to be done to address the matter. In essence, this is the reason the minister said, “We felt it was vital for us to have this talk with you, in order to let you know our worries and the disapproval of the Nigerian Government and the Nigerian people on this extremely unhealthy development.
“We’ve had some time to ensure that we arrest this situation but it appears the situation is getting out of hand. And we’re saying enough is enough. We should let you know, in very strong terms that it’s high time you really meant and backed Nigeria with the quest that something be done immediately because he threatens the forthcoming election,” he said.
“We thought it was important for us to have this chat with you to let you know that, of course, he’s living in the comfort of his home there in Finland and we know that we have been in touch with your good self,” Mr Onyeama stated.
“We’ve had some time to ensure that we arrest this situation but it appears the situation is getting out of hand. And we’re saying enough is enough. We should let you know, in very strong terms that it’s high time you really meant and backed Nigeria with the quest that something be done immediately because he threatens the forthcoming election,” he added.
The foreign affairs minister lamented that the factional IPOB leader has huge followership on social media.
“It’s important to get to know that the 2023 elections are being threatened by the actions of someone and that something needs to be done immediately, to address the situation. This in essence is why we thought it was important for us to have this discussion with you, so as to let you know our concerns and the displeasure of the Government of Nigeria and the people of Nigeria on this very unhealthy development,” the minister told Mrs Pylvanainen.
In response, Mrs. Pylvanainen stated that the Finnish government was already looking into the threats to ascertain how they fit into Finnish legal precedent given that Mr. Ekpa is a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria.
The Finnish ambassador argued that his rights should be taken into account.
“So, everything has to obviously be done according to Finnish legislation,” she said.
Mrs. Pylvanainen called Mr. Ekpa’s threat “an irritation” in Finland’s relations with Nigeria.
This year, the two nations are commemorating 60 years of diplomatic ties.
With 60 years of “great collaboration” between the two nations, the Finnish envoy claimed, the Finnish government would not “trade with anything” that might endanger its connection with Nigeria.
She claimed that the Finnish government was extremely concerned about the threat to halt the Nigerian election.
“It is a topic on which we have been cooperating. Our authorities have been cooperating. There have been contacts between the law enforcement agencies of Nigeria and Finland on this topic,” she said.
“We’ve had several discussions here in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which we do appreciate very much because you said this is an issue of national concern to Nigeria, but it is very much a concern for us as well. We are very much interested in the safe and secure conduct of these elections throughout the country,” Mrs Pylvanainen added.
She said although Finland has very strong protections for freedom of speech the country does not condone hate speech and incitement to violence.
However, there are stipulations against hate speech and incitement to violence for us. The situation is really of concern on three accounts, even you could say it is of concern.” she said.