Finland Provides New Details On Simon Ekpa Case Development

The Finnish government has announced that it's taking action in response to a complaint from the Nigerian government about Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen. Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen shared this update during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday. Valtonen said that Ekpa's case is currently being considered by the Finnish courts. She said that she'd been in talks with the Nigerian authorities about the case and that legal proceedings are happening within Finland's judicial system. The issue was also discussed at a meeting with Nigerian officials on Tuesday. Valtonen didn't go into specifics about the legal process. The Nigerian government has been asking Finland and the European Union to take action for a long time now to stop Ekpa's provocative social media activities, which are believed to be contributing to violence and instability in Nigeria's South-East region. Valtonen and other Nordic officials touched down in Nigeria on Monday for a chat about peace, security, trade, and investment. The group includes Sweden's Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, Iceland's Foreign Minister, 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. The Nordic ministers met with Nigerian officials and representatives from the West African regional body ECOWAS to discuss security, economic cooperation, education, trade, and the rule of law. Valtonen didn't mention Ekpa by name, but her comments referred to him, suggesting that his case has been a sticking point in Finland's diplomatic relations with Nigeria. Valtonen said that Finland is committed to handling the case according to the rule of law and that it's a judicial matter, not a political one. She concluded, "The case is being handled through our judicial system, and we're hoping for a resolution soon."