The federal government has applauded the landmark judgment of the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland, which on Monday sentenced Simon Ekpa, a self-styled pro-Biafra agitator, to six years’ imprisonment for terrorism offences.
The position of the federal government was made known on Monday in a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The government said the ruling stood 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.”
It stated that for years, Ekpa’s reckless incitement and orchestration of violence through IPOB terror activities unleashed unspeakable pain which included shattering of families, destruction of businesses, children orphaned, and entire communities forced to live under fear.
The government added that hundreds of lives were lost, and many more maimed, in pursuit of a destructive and unlawful agenda that sought to undermine the peace, unity, and sovereignty of our nation.
It said by upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice was served, the Finnish judiciary had not only vindicated Nigeria’s consistent position on the matter but also sent a clear signal to extremists everywhere that the world was watching, and justice would catch up with those who sought to destabilize societies through terror.
The government said the Tinubu administration remained unshakable in its resolve to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and protect the dignity of every citizen.
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“We will continue to mobilize every resource, diplomatic, military, and judicial, to preserve the peace, unity, and territorial integrity of our country,” it added.
“We urge all those who, under the misguidance of Simon Ekpa and others, have taken up arms against their fatherland to immediately lay them down and embrace the path of peace. Nigeria is big enough for all its people, but there can be no progress where violence and division prevail,” the government counselled.
The government extended its profound gratitude to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the security and intelligence agencies, and the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police, “whose sacrifices, courage, and commitment continue to secure our homeland in the face of daunting challenges.”
It said their service and the resilience of the Nigerian people remained the backbone of the country’s enduring unity.
“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,” the government concluded.
