Finnish police detain five over violence in Nigeria

Police in Finland announced on Thursday that they have detained of five individuals linked to deadly violence in southeastern Nigeria, including a dual Finnish-Nigerian citizen. 

Authorities did not name the suspects but confirmed that the dual citizen, who was born in the 1980s, is the prime suspect. 

According to the Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen, “the police suspect that the man has furthered his efforts from Finland in such a way that has resulted in violence against civilians and public authorities and in other crimes in Southeast Nigeria.”

Hiltunen also stated that the suspect “carried out this activity by campaigning, for example, on his social media channels."

The Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti will now review a request from the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation to extend the suspects’ custody. 

The crime has been linked to Simon Ekpa, who also resides in Finland and is a prominent figure in the Indigenous People of Biafra, a separatist group advocating for the creation of an independent Biafran state. 

IPOB’s secessionist campaign traces its roots to the 1960s, when the Republic of Biafra unsuccessfully fought to break away from Nigeria in a civil war that killed around 1 million people, many of whom died of starvation.

Nigerian authorities have accused Ekpa of using social media to incite violence among his followers, primarily young people in the region. Finnish police said their investigation involves international cooperation, with Nigerian officials being contacted for comment. 

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, continues to face significant security challenges, including violence from armed groups, widespread protests over rising living costs, and problems with governance.