In a similar vein, neither the president nor any of his advisors have released an official comment regarding the arrest.
reports that a Finnish district judge in Lahti detained and arrested Ekpa and four other people on probable cause for inciting the public to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria.
According to authorities, Ekpa disseminated separatist propaganda associated with IPOB, a group that calls for the secession of southeast Nigeria, via social media sites. According to reports, these actions began in August 2021.
Alongside these accusations, Ekpa has already been the subject of an investigation by Finnish authorities for suspected financial crimes, such as fundraising through questionable means.
The president has not commented on the arrest, despite the fact that it has continued to create a lot of discussion on traditional and social media.
Vanguard cited Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, as saying that the appropriate person to speak on the matter was either the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) or the Minister of Justice, or the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Daniel Bwala, the President’s Special Advisor on Policy Communication, also stated that he cannot predict his principal’s thoughts because he does not yet know what they are thinking.
He further mentioned that President Tinubu has not been adequately briefed to take a stance on the issue and is now abroad on an official assignment.
Bwala stated: “You are aware that a spokesman’s job is to represent the principal’s viewpoint, and you cannot speak for the principal before you hear it.” For instance, since this event happened in Finland, it is likely that the Embassy in Finland will brief the Foreign Affairs Office, which will then likely brief the President or the National Security Adviser directly. The President will then take a stance, which will allow us to respond to the media and gain insight into his stance on the issue.
The President is currently abroad and most likely on his way, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry has not released an official comment. It will therefore amount to—I don’t want to use the word—gaslighting. If a spokesperson adopts a stance that differs from that of his principal, it will be considered irresponsible.
Therefore, perhaps a little more time will enable us to understand the President’s perspective on the issue. In a country with the rule of law, the president often does not take rapid action in such a case. The attorney general is the nation’s chief law enforcement official in a rule of law nation.
In the event that the government makes a judgment about the case, the Attorney-General will most likely now coordinate with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. However, at this time, I may be mistaken; the protocol is for our foreign office, the embassy, to brief the Foreign Affairs Minister about the situation.
“It is too early to offer a presidential opinion on the matter, as I believe the Foreign Affairs Minister must have accompanied the President on the trip.”