FACT CHECK: Has Finnish President Declared Support For Biafra?

A Twitter user, @HMReportsBRGIE, shared a post suggesting that President Alexander Stubb of Finland had pledged support for the actualization of Biafra’s sovereignty.

The post was accompanied by a video of President Stubb speaking, along with an image of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and head of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE).

The tweet, which has amassed over 560 retweets, 1,000 likes and 179,000 views fueled speculations among users on the platform.

The post reads, “Case closed Ahead! ahead!! The pledge from Finish President sound so clear to all Ifeajuna of our time @EmekaGift100 , @ElochukwuOhagi the real Blackmailers against our PM @simon_ekpa & Biafra freeom..”

BRGIE, the faction of IPOB led by Ekpa, has been vocal about plans to declare the “United States of Biafra” on December 2, 2024.

READ: Simon Ekpa Faces Extradition To Nigeria Over Alleged Terrorism, Separatist Activities

Notably, Ekpa was recently arrested by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and jailed by the district court of Päijät-Häme for spreading terrorist propaganda on social media. His controversial activities have been the subject of global attention, with his methods often described as rooted in disinformation.

VERIFICATION

To verify this claim, Osun Defender examined the origins of the video. It was discovered that President Stubb himself posted the video on his official Twitter account on November 19, 2024.

However, the context of the video was entirely unrelated to Biafra.

In the clip, Stubb was expressing Finland’s unwavering support for Ukraine amidst its ongoing war with Russia. “Finland’s winter war lasted 105 days, your war has lasted ten times longer. We understand what you’re going through,” Stubb said. He further emphasized Finland’s moral and security-based support for Ukraine, stating: “The fight in Ukraine is our fight.”

VERDICT

The claim that Finnish President Alexander Stubb has declared support for Biafra is false. The video referenced was aimed at supporting Ukraine, not Biafra. This highlights the need for caution when consuming and sharing information online, as misinformation can easily distort public understanding of sensitive geopolitical issues.