[16] In September 2021, Ekpa denounced Nigeria and vowed to return the medal he won for the country at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships,[17][18] and renounced his Nigerian citizenship the following year.

"[16][47] Nigerian general Christopher Gwabin Musa said "In the South-east, Simon Ekpa has become a menace to this country.

[49] Yle interviews with residents of Enugu suggested extensive fear of Ekpa and compliance with his "sit at home" orders which involved the 2023 Nigerian elections.

[50] In late February 2023 Yle reported Ekpa is being suspected of having raised funds in an illegal manner by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation.

[54] On 14 June 2023, Ekpa announced a week-long sit at home campaign from 3 to 10 July 2023,[55] which according to The Whistler recorded 70% compliance.

[64][38] In October 2023, Ekpa and cabinet members of BRGIE hosted a three-day convention in Helsinki, Finland, where a possible Biafran referendum was discussed with participants and attendants from Biafra.

[76] In July 2024, Ekpa said the United States was to issue favorable statements for the Biafra declaration in the coming months.

[77] At the three-day convention he also announced the formation of the Biafra Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group fighting for secession from Nigeria.

[78] He had previously claimed to control the Eastern Security Network, IPOB's armed wing,[10] and said this group was renamed BLA.

[81] Yle had in February 2023 reported that estimates of the number of gunmen loyal to Ekpa vary greatly, from hundreds to tens of thousands.

[10] In late 2023, Ekpa and Ambazonian activist Ayaba Cho Lucas announced a military pact between their respective organizations against the Cameroonian and Nigerian governments.

[82] In June 2024, Ekpa signed a one-year agreement to be represented by the American lobbying firm Moran Global Strategies.

[83] In March 2024, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) declared Ekpa and more than 90 others "wanted" for "terrorism, kidnapping and other crimes.

[61] In June 2024, a former director of the Nigerian State Security Service called for the extradition of Ekpa to Nigeria.

[90] Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff Musa also reiterated call for the arrest and prosecution of Ekpa.

[95][96] On 20 August 2024, Ekpa unveiled the map of a proposed 40 "United States of Biafra" and announced 2 December 2024 as the date for its official presentation and issuance of a declaration of independence.

The Nigerian government, while reacting to the development through the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), stated that it is engaging with the European Union to extradite Ekpa from Finland.

[8] On 21 November 2024, Ekpa was detained by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, (NBI) on accusations of alleged terrorist activities in Nigeria.

[104] Ekpa was remanded into custody by the District Court of Päijät-Häme on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.

[105] This marks his second arrest in Finland; he was previously detained in 2023 on suspicion of illegal fundraising but was released shortly after.

[106] The Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS), while condemning Finland for the arrest in a statement, called for the release of Ekpa and Ayaba Cho.

Ayaba, an Ambazonian independence movement leader, was arrested in September 2024 by Norwegian authorities for the same crime Ekpa is accused of.

Meanwhile, the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Sanna Selin, stated, "Simon Ekpa has been hindering bilateral relations.

The cooperation between our two countries is going very well now, and the National Security Adviser has been providing all the evidence.” The statement was made as the Ambassador presented her letter of credence to Tinubu in Abuja.