Hours after the arrest of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Biafra Prime Minister, in Finland, President Bola Tinubu has yet to issue an official response. The arrest has sparked attention, but as of now, neither the presidency nor any of the President’s aides have commented on the matter, leaving many puzzled about the lack of reaction. The situation has generated a great deal of public discussion, yet the government has maintained an unusual silence on the issue.
Gistreel recalls that Ekpa, along with four others, was detained by a Finnish district court in Lahti on probable cause for public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent in Nigeria. Authorities accuse Ekpa of using social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria. These activities reportedly date back to August 2021. The Finnish authorities' investigation has also extended to Ekpa’s involvement in alleged financial crimes, specifically fundraising through questionable means.
Despite the widespread reactions to Ekpa’s arrest on both traditional media and social media platforms, the presidency remains silent. This lack of response has raised questions regarding the government's stance on the matter. In a statement to Vanguard, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the National Security Adviser (NSA) or the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice would be the appropriate officials to address the issue, rather than the President directly. Onanuga's remarks suggest that the matter is being handled through the proper channels before any public statements are made.
In line with this, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, also shared his thoughts on the situation, noting that he was unaware of President Tinubu’s position on the issue. He added that the President, who is currently abroad on official duties, has not been fully briefed on the matter, making it difficult for him to take a position at this time. Bwala said: “You know that the role of a spokesman is to speak the mind of your principal, and you cannot preempt the principal until you hear so. For example, this event took place in Finland, so the natural thing is that probably the Embassy in Finland will brief the Foreign Affairs Office, then the Foreign Affairs Office will probably brief the National Security Adviser or the President directly, and then the President will take a position which will then give us the insight into his position on the matter, and we’ll be able to respond to the media."
He further emphasized the procedural steps, noting, “At the moment, the President is out of the country and probably must be on his way, and then there is no official statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry. So, it will amount to, I don’t want to say gaslighting. It will amount to irresponsibility for a spokesman to take a position that is not the position of his principal. So, maybe a little more time will help us to be able to get what the mind of the President is regarding the matter. Usually, in a situation like that, it is not even the President that immediately acts in a nation of rule of law. In a nation of rule of law, the chief law officer of the country is the attorney general.”
Bwala also speculated that the Attorney-General would likely be coordinating with the Foreign Affairs Ministry regarding any potential government action in response to Ekpa’s arrest. He concluded, “I think the Foreign Affairs Minister also must have travelled with the President, so it is too early to give a presidential opinion on the matter.”
At this point, while Ekpa’s arrest is under international scrutiny, it appears that the Nigerian government is taking a procedural approach, waiting for the relevant ministries and officials to gather the necessary information before issuing a statement or taking further action.
