Amid his detention in Finland, Simon Ekpa has been removed as the leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile.

In a statement on Thursday, Ogechukwu Nkere was announced to have emerged as the replacement of Ekpa as the Prime Minister of BRGIE.

According to the statement, Nkere was elected unanimously by the cabinet of BRGIE on January 14, 2026.

“Ogechukwu Nkere elected Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE).

“On January 14, 2026, the Honorable Ogechukwu Nkere was unanimously elected by the cabinet of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) to serve as Prime Minister, succeeding Simon Ekpa Njoku, who was relieved of his position by the cabinet,” the statement reads.

Prior to his current position, Nkere had previously served as Acting Prime Minister of BRGIE since December 2024, following the detention of Ekpa in Finland.

He also served as BRGIE finance minister and was the organization’s longtime representative in Washington, DC, where he worked closely with the United States government alongside BRGIE’s lobbyists.

While in the United States, Nkere met with officials in the U.S. government, from Senator Ted Cruz to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the second-highest official in the U.S. government in the presidential line of succession,” the statement noted.

Recall that Ekpa, a Biafran separatist, was sentenced in Finland on September 1, 2025.