Simon Ekpa, the controversial leader of the pro-Biafra faction Autopilot, was arrested by Finnish authorities on Thursday, marking a significant development in international efforts to curb separatist violence linked to his activities. Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent, is accused of inciting terrorist acts from Finland that have contributed to violence and instability in southeastern Nigeria, particularly through his influential social media presence. The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that Ekpa, alongside four other men, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities, including public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. The charges stem from…

At least 50 Boko Haram fighters were killed on Tuesday and seven members of Nigeria's infrastructure security force were missing following an insurgent ambush on a convoy monitoring the country's power grid installations, a spokesperson said. Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency for 15 years mainly in the northeast, has been weakened by the military and internal fighting but remains a threat as it makes deadly attacks against civilians and government targets. Babawale Afolabi, spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp, a government agency set up to protect infrastructure, said security operatives were ambushed by about 200 Boko Haram…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advised bank customers to be cautious about the use of fake SWIFT messages during foreign exchange (FX) remittances. SWIFT messages are sent through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication network to facilitate financial transactions between banks and financial institutions. The CBN gave the warning in a statement signed by Hakama Sidi-Ali, its acting director of corporate communications department, on Tuesday in Abuja. The apex bank said it had been inundated with claims by some stakeholders about the conclusion of foreign currency transfer to their Nigeria bank accounts. According to Sidi Ali, stakeholders…

A United States court has reissued an order for the arrest of Allen Onyema, the founder and CEO of Air Peace Limited, over a $20 million bank fraud case that has been pending against him for five years. The federal district court for Northern Georgia, Atlanta, renewed the arrest warrant on 9 October, following the addition of more charges to the case against Onyema and his co-defendant – Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance. US authorities filed the superseding indictment on 8 October, alleging new counts of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The two…