The claim: Simon Ekpa was arrested on December 15, 2022, by the internationally recognized police agency known as “Interpol.”
Simon Ekpa, the self-described spokesperson for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), released a video on December 16 in response to the DSS report that Nnamdi Kanu has gone nine days without food or medicine.
According to a Gist digest news report that went viral on social media on December 15, Simon was arrested by interpol at the Finnish International Airport while attempting to flee to Israel.
“The leader of the Autopilot faction of ESN, Simon Ekpa, has been arrested earlier today by international police, popularly known as Interpol,” the article’s first paragraph read.
The article, which also claims Simon was apprehended at the Finland-Vantaa airport, was shared by hundreds of people, including Charly Boy, on several social media platforms.
A December 17 Twitter post (direct link), which includes the text of the Gist Digest News article, was shared more than 400 times with 700 comments and 1900 likes in less than 24 hours.
However, the claim is false.
A website called Gist Digest News propagates false information, many of which MANDY NEWS has seen and can clearly debunk.
There are no verified claims that Simon has been placed under arrest. Since the reported arrest and detention, he has released many videos.
MANDY NEWS was unable to get in touch with the website administrator who posted the fake news.
No credible reports of Simon Ekpa being arrested
There is no proof that Simon was detained, charged, or arrested by Interpol, an international police organization.
Simon has released numerous videos since December 15th.
On December 16, he released a video vowing that he and his men will start contributing 2 million naira as a monthly stipend for Nnamdi Kanu.
On December 17, Simon used YouTube to conduct a live broadcast in which he made his customary boastful remarks.
MANDY NEWS has discovered a number of false reports that were posted by Gist Digest News, including baseless allegations that Simon Ekpa was caught with a woman in the hotel. According to a Mandy News investigation, the website has pop-up malware and is housed on the free Google Blogger platform.
The website is dubious because it contacts us, about us, privacy policy, and disclaimer pages are blank.
Our rating: False
We mark the report that Simon Ekpa was arrested by Interpol at the international airport of Finland as FALSE based on our research. Since the alleged arrest, Simon has released a number of videos, and there are no reliable reports that he was detained, charged, or arrested. The claim comes from Gist Digest News, a website that distributed false information.
