‘A major victory for the Nigerian people’ – Tinubu’s govt reacts as Finnish court finally sentences Simon…

The Bola Tinubu administration on Monday, September 1, welcomed “the landmark judgment” of the Paijat-Hame District Court in Finland, which sentenced Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafra agitator, to six years’ imprisonment for terrorism offences.

Per a statement by Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, obtained by Legit.ng, the government said the judgment stands as “a watershed moment, not only 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, but also for the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Finland.”

The Nigerian government said: “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 crippled, in pursuit of a destructive and unlawful agenda that sought to undermine the peace, unity, and sovereignty of our nation.

“By upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served, the Finnish judiciary has not only vindicated Nigeria’s consistent position on this matter but also sent 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 Tinubu administration stated that it “remains unshakable” in its resolve to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and protect the dignity of every citizen. It vowed to continue to mobilise every resource, diplomatic, military, and judicial, to preserve Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

Furthermore, the federal government (FG) urged all those already influenced by Ekpa to immediately lay down arms taken up against Nigeria “and embrace the path of peace”. It added Nigeria is big enough for all its people, “but there can be no progress where violence and division prevail”.

The FG concluded: “As we mark this turning point, the federal government enjoins all Nigerians, at home and abroad, to work together for national unity, peace, and security of the country.”

Meanwhile, in a separate statement on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Idris described Ekpa’s conviction as “a major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror.”