The Federal Government has applauded the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for sentencing Simon Ekpa, a self-styled pro-Biafra agitator, to six years’ imprisonment for terrorism-related offences, describing the verdict as a “watershed moment” in Nigeria’s fight against violent separatism.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the government said the ruling represents justice for the “countless innocent Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods have been brutally disrupted by the reign of terror incited and financed by Ekpa and his collaborators.”
The statement read:
“For years, Ekpa’s reckless incitement and orchestration of violence through IPOB terror activities unleashed unspeakable pain: families shattered, businesses destroyed, children orphaned, and entire communities forced to live under fear. Hundreds of lives were lost, and many more maimed, in pursuit of a destructive and unlawful agenda that sought to undermine the peace, unity, and sovereignty of our nation.”
Idris commended the Finnish judiciary for upholding the rule of law, saying the verdict “sends a clear signal to extremists everywhere that the world is watching, and justice will catch up with those who seek to destabilize societies through terror.”
The minister reiterated President Tinubu’s resolve to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty, mobilizing “every resource, diplomatic, military, and judicial” to protect the nation.
“We urge all those who, under the misguidance of Simon Ekpa and others, have taken up arms against their fatherland to immediately lay them down and embrace the path of peace. Nigeria is big enough for all its people, but there can be no progress where violence and division prevail,” the statement added.
The Federal Government also expressed gratitude to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, security and intelligence agencies, and the Federal Ministry of Justice for their sacrifices in safeguarding the nation, describing their work as “the backbone of our enduring unity.”
Idris called on Nigerians at home and abroad to work collectively for peace, stability, and national cohesion, framing Ekpa’s conviction as a turning point in the campaign against separatist violence.
