FACT CHECK: Ekpa’s False Claims of Foreign Backing Debunked

… Declarations of a sovereign state would require recognition from established international bodies like the United Nations or major sovereign states…

State Correspondent 

For several years, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a secessionist movement seeking the establishment of a Biafran state carved out of Nigeria’s South-East, has actively sought to claim international support to apply pressure on Nigeria to concede to their requests. This movement, which was latent for decades after the Civil War (1967-70), has since become more vocal and present since 1999 – when Nigeria retuned to democracy. Sadly, in an effort to show this support, some in the group have resorted to active disinformation, which has led to different challenges in checking.

A major source is Simon Ekpa, former radio director and self-acclaimed ‘Prime Minister’. His use of threats and propaganda have inevitably made him popular within the struggle. However, Ekpa, who is based in Finland, is familiar with spreading disinformation with the X (Twitter) platform, his major tool.

False and Misleading Claims of Foreign Support by the United States of America

In recent times Ekpa has claimed that the United States government, through its Department of Justice, has paid heed to the call by a group, the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile (BRGIE), as an entity advocating for Biafra independence. Ekpa claimed that this recognition was public and could be obtained from the site of the US Justice Department.
Ekpa aims to leverage this claim to depict substantial support from the US government, thereby increasing pressure on the Nigerian government to address Biafran demands. Such claims, if believed, could embolden separatist groups within Nigeria, leading to heightened security tensions as these groups might feel validated and supported by the international community. This perception of international backing could intensify their activities, potentially resulting in unrest. Moreover, this situation could strain diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States, as the Nigerian government might view this recognition as interference in its domestic affairs. The broader international community might also apply increased diplomatic pressure on Nigeria to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Biafran representatives, further complicating the political landscape.

Shortly after Ekpa’s announcement on the US Department of Justice, Ekpa would further make erroneous claims suggesting US support for Biafran Independence. Part of this strategy was announcing the advocacy of Jim Moran, a former US congressman who represented Virginia’s 8th congressional district from 1991 until 2015. This was again also reported by Nigerian media outlets.
Ekpa in his post failed to mention that Jim was contracted through his firm Moran Global Strategies as a lobbyist under a 10k per month contract that began June 15, 2024.

Moran Global Strategies is a public relations firm in the United States that specialises in government relations, strategic consulting, and advocacy, helping clients manage their public image and navigate policy issues effectively.

Ekpa’s growing influence is also reflected in the media, with prominent outlets like Vanguard, Daily Times and Daily Post reporting on his tweets and quoting him in their articles. While there are general concerns about Ekpa’s increasing political influence among media outlets, one particular outlet, FactCheck News, raises significant concerns. Despite its name suggesting it functions as a fact-checking blog, FactCheck News operates more like a traditional news outlet. This distinction is crucial for understanding the nature and reliability of the information it provides, as the name might mislead readers into assuming its primary focus is on verifying facts, whereas it often disseminates news stories without the rigorous fact-checking implied by its name.

Verification
Using Whois, an open-source tool that provides domain information, we found that the site Fact-check News had been in existence since 2021 and was updated in 2023. Using the Wayback machine, we observed that the outlet only began actively reporting Ekpa’s propaganda in 2024 as regards BRGIE, and has often quoted him verbatim as an authoritative source as seen here, here and here.
It was also observed that all published reports about the issue were similar with little or no difference in wording and structure. Thus inferring that the sources were very similar.
Combing through the US Department of Justice’s site, nothing was found as relates to what was being propagated by Ekpa.The US Department of State website was further searched through to confirm whether there was any post on the issue, to no avail.
Neither the Department of State nor Justice had any posts on IPOB or BRGIE on their social media handles.

An FOI request to confirm the claim was sent on June 27, 2024.

A response from the Department of Justice through the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on July 3, 2024, noted that there had been no record of BRGIE in their database

Verdict: False

Ekpa and the Finish Government

The Ekpa-led faction of the IPOB declared that elections would not be allowed to take place in the South-East, designating the election period as a sit-at-home order. The Finnish government had earlier denied issuing a sit-at-home order attributed to them. Following Ekpa’s inciteful comments, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Finnish Ambassador, Leena Pylvanainen, fearing these remarks could disrupt the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections. In response, the Finnish government opened an investigation into Ekpa’s activities. However, Ekpa exploited the media focus to further his campaign, falsely claiming to be featured on a magazine cover for his activism, a claim that was later debunked.

Ekpa uploaded a misleading video of the Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, responding to questions about him. In the video, Orpo was asked his thoughts on Ekpa and his activism in Nigeria. Using maestra.ai, an AI that translates languages, we translated the interview and found that Orpo in no way tried to indulge or support Ekpa, he however noted that the situation was being investigated as he wanted to understand the situation of things before taking action.

There have been calls from various civic groups and politicians for Ekpa’s extradition from Finland and the severance of diplomatic ties with the country, along with the expulsion of its ambassador.
Ekpa’s continuous use of disinformation to advance his course stands as a threat to Nigeria’s over 60 years of relationship with Finland.

Ekpa portrays misleading report of self-referendum declaration by OEAS

In a recent post, Ekpa stated that the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with a planned headquarters for South Sudan. OEAS is an organisation that supports emerging states in Africa, seeking self-determination.
Ekpa would further share a letter to support his claim declaring the self-referendum by Biafra as binding. The highlighted part being the resolution and authorisation of the charity organisation which reads, “The results of the Biafra Self Referendum shall be considered binding under international law as a definitive statement of the intentions and aspirations of the Biafran people.”

Ekpa’s post was also reported by another media organisation Capital Post.

 

OEAS is recognised as a public charity in the U.S. and is registered with the European Union and the United Nations. Despite its efforts to advocate for self-determination and highlight conflicts like the one in Southern Cameroons, the OEAS is not recognized as a powerful or influential entity on the global stage​.
Although based in Washington DC with a General Assembly of States planned for Juba, South Sudan, their activities are out of the United States.

Their Activities and international strength
OEAS has in the past advocated for Cameroon, releasing similar statements and press releases. However, they do not wield strength and are not recognised internationally as such, thus limiting their activities to that of a charity and advocacy group.
Part of this is that they do not have any formal member states like the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) or the African Union (AU).

OEAS does not possess the recognized authority to declare that the results of the Biafra Self-Referendum are binding under international law. Such declarations would require recognition from established international bodies like the United Nations or major sovereign states. While the OEAS may support self-determination efforts, its statements do not carry the legal weight needed to be considered binding under international law.

Verdict: Misleading

OEAS do not have the power to declare the Biafra self-referandum as binding under international law.

For several years, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a secessionist movement seeking the establishment of a Biafran state carved out of Nigeria’s South-East, has actively sought to claim international support to apply pressure on Nigeria to concede to their requests. This movement, which was latent for decades after the Civil War (1967-70), has since become more vocal and present since 1999 – when Nigeria retuned to democracy. Sadly, in an effort to show this support, some in the group have resorted to active disinformation, which has led to different challenges in checking.

A major source is Simon Ekpa, former radio director and self-acclaimed ‘Prime Minister’. His use of threats and propaganda have inevitably made him popular within the struggle. However, Ekpa, who is based in Finland, is familiar with spreading disinformation with the X (Twitter) platform, his major tool.

False and Misleading Claims of Foreign Support by the United States of America

In recent times Ekpa has claimed that the United States government, through its Department of Justice, has paid heed to the call by a group, the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile (BRGIE), as an entity advocating for Biafra independence. Ekpa claimed that this recognition was public and could be obtained from the site of the US Justice Department.
Ekpa aims to leverage this claim to depict substantial support from the US government, thereby increasing pressure on the Nigerian government to address Biafran demands. Such claims, if believed, could embolden separatist groups within Nigeria, leading to heightened security tensions as these groups might feel validated and supported by the international community. This perception of international backing could intensify their activities, potentially resulting in unrest. Moreover, this situation could strain diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States, as the Nigerian government might view this recognition as interference in its domestic affairs. The broader international community might also apply increased diplomatic pressure on Nigeria to engage in dialogue and negotiations with Biafran representatives, further complicating the political landscape.

Shortly after Ekpa’s announcement on the US Department of Justice, Ekpa would further make erroneous claims suggesting US support for Biafran Independence. Part of this strategy was announcing the advocacy of Jim Moran, a former US congressman who represented Virginia’s 8th congressional district from 1991 until 2015. This was again also reported by Nigerian media outlets.
Ekpa in his post failed to mention that Jim was contracted through his firm Moran Global Strategies as a lobbyist under a 10k per month contract that began June 15, 2024.

Moran Global Strategies is a public relations firm in the United States that specialises in government relations, strategic consulting, and advocacy, helping clients manage their public image and navigate policy issues effectively.

Ekpa’s growing influence is also reflected in the media, with prominent outlets like Vanguard, Daily Times and Daily Post reporting on his tweets and quoting him in their articles. While there are general concerns about Ekpa’s increasing political influence among media outlets, one particular outlet, FactCheck News, raises significant concerns. Despite its name suggesting it functions as a fact-checking blog, FactCheck News operates more like a traditional news outlet. This distinction is crucial for understanding the nature and reliability of the information it provides, as the name might mislead readers into assuming its primary focus is on verifying facts, whereas it often disseminates news stories without the rigorous fact-checking implied by its name.