Nigeria’s top military commander has hailed the sentencing of separatist figure Simon Ekpa by a Finnish court as a significant breakthrough in international efforts to combat terrorism.
The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland handed Ekpa a six-year prison term on Monday after finding him guilty of terrorism financing and incitement to violence.
Reacting to the verdict, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa said the outcome underscored the global resolve to hold perpetrators of terrorism accountable.
“The judgment affirms that there will be no refuge for those who promote or bankroll terror, whether against Nigeria or any other nation,” Musa declared in a statement issued by Defence spokesperson Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau.
The CDS credited the ruling to effective cooperation between Finnish authorities and Nigerian security, intelligence and diplomatic institutions, which provided vital evidence to the court.
He noted that the conviction served as proof of the importance of international collaboration in dismantling terrorist networks.
General Musa reaffirmed the military’s determination to continue working with global partners to safeguard Nigeria and urged citizens to remain alert and back ongoing operations against insurgency and violent separatism.
