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Finland Moves to Checkmate Simon Ekpa’s Activities
Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, has said Finland cannot trade its relations with Nigeria for anything.
This was even as Pylvanainen said it has been 60 years of excellent relationship and cooperation between Nigeria and Finland.
Ibrahim Aliyu, special assistant to the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, said the envoy gave the assurance during a meeting in Abuja with Dada over threat by Simon Ekpa, a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to bar elections in the South East.
Pylvanainen said Ekpa’s activities were of serious concern to Finland and efforts ongoing to address the issue. He added that Finland was watching to see how the situation fits into the legal framework of Finland.
The Finnish envoy also said Ekpa has dual citizenship, adding that there was the need to take his rights into consideration.
She stated that Finland has very much interest in ensuring safe and peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria and condemned in strong terms, any threat to peaceful elections in the country.
“We share very much, the concerns regarding the security situation in the Southeast. Yes, there are problems in other parts of the country as well, but this is an issue that we are directly concerned with. This is an issue we have been discussing, we share the concerns. We have discussed the matter and as I mentioned, our law enforcement agencies are in touch and are cooperating,” Pylvanaine said.
Dada called on the Finnish Government to take drastic action against the activities of Ekpa who lives in Finland, but sent inciting messages back home to instigate violence activities in part of the country with the sole aim of disrupting the conduct of the 2023 general election.
While expressing displeasure over the orders given by Ekpa to his teeming followers whom he said, “consequently embarked on killings, maiming, burning and other destructive activities,” Dada further said Ekpa’s action is fast becoming a threat to the forthcoming election.
He added that the Federal Government would not take it lightly if nothing drastic was done to stop Ekpa.
“The Ekpa-led faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had reportedly declared that elections will not be allowed to hold in the South-East, and had declared the period of the elections as sit-at-home. Simon Ekpa is living in the comfort of his home in Finland and dishing out dangerous orders to his followers not to allow elections to hold, which is threatening the peace of the South-eastern Nigeria in particular and the peaceful conduct of the election in general. 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,” Dada said.
The Sun
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
