FACT CHECK: Finnish President Did Not Declare Support for Biafra, Contrary to Claims

A Twitter user, @HMReportsBRGIE, recently claimed that Alexander Stubb, the former Finnish Prime Minister, expressed support for the actualization of Biafran sovereignty. The user shared a video of Stubb speaking and alleged that he pledged solidarity with the Biafra movement....CONTINUE READING>>>

The post included an image of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), alongside the video (archived here). The tweet has since gained significant traction, with 605 retweets and 1,000 likes.

Ekpa leads a faction of IPOB known as the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), which is reportedly planning an official declaration of the “United States of Biafra” on December 2. Notably, Ekpa was arrested by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on November 21 and later imprisoned by the Päijät-Häme district court for allegedly spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.

In December 2021, TheCable identified Ekpa as a prominent figure in the spread of disinformation to support the secession of Nigeria’s southeast region.

Fact-Check

Upon investigation, it was found that Stubb had originally posted the video on his Twitter account on November 19. In the video, he expressed his support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia, which began in February 2022.

In the video, Stubb stated:
“Finland’s winter war lasted 105 days; your war has lasted ten times longer. We understand what you’re going through. We will support you for as long as it takes. We support you because it is morally right, because you are fighting for your independence, and because you’re fighting for our shared security. The fight in Ukraine is our fight.”

Verdict

The claim that the Finnish president has declared support for Biafra is false. Stubb’s remarks in the video were solely directed at Ukraine, not Biafra.