The controversial pro-Biafra agitator and leader of Autopilot, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Simon Ekpa, has been arrested by the Finnish Central Criminal Police, as the authorities said he has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in South-Eastern Nigeria.
Penpushing reports that the most wanted Biafra agitator was arrested alongside four others on Thursday on suspicion of terrorist activities as report has it that discussion for possible imprisonment of the Ekpa would be discussed in the District Court of Päijät-Häme
‘The police suspect that the man (Ekpa) has promoted his efforts from Finland with means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-eastern Nigeria. The man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels,” the Head of the investigation, Crime Commissioner, Otto Hiltunen of the Central Criminal Police, was quoted as saying.
Penpushing further reports that Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, was said to have been indicted for financing terrorism alongside the four other suspects, as the police suspect that the Biafra agitator committed the crime of collecting money in violation of the Finnish Money Collection Act.
The Finnish police said Ekpa allegedly committed the crimes between August 23, 2021 and November 18 2024 in Lahti, a town in Finland, stating that the other four suspects are persons with a foreign background born in the 1970s or 1960s.
Penpushing also reports that the report disclosed that the suspects committed the crime in August 2022, in Lahti, but aside from Mr Ekpa, the identities of the four suspects were not made available as at the time of filing this report.
The reports added that all five suspects were arrested during the first week, explaining that the police during the preliminary investigation, discovered that they had international cooperation, while as at Thursday the report said the District Court of Päijät-Häme ordered that Ekpa be imprisoned with probable cause on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
Penpushing reports that as at the time of filing this report it was not yet clear, if Ekpa a factional leader of the People of Biafra (IPOB a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria has been imprisoned.
The controversial pro-Biafra agitator it is recalled in February 2023, Finnish authorities arrested him, shortly after he threatened to disrupt Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections, but was later released shortly after being questioned by Finnish police.
Penpushing further reports that Ekpa was born March 21, 1985, hails from Ngbo, a community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, and has been linked to growing insecurity in south-east Nigeria.
The Biafra agitator, who is based in Finland has continued to issue sit-at-home orders in the region during which residents who step out are sometimes killed or attacked by gunmen enforcing the illegal order.
Penpushing also reports that Ekpa has been using his social media pages, mainly X, to push a secessionist agenda, issue illegal orders, disseminate fake news, and solicit funds for suspected terrorist activities, and on July 3 2023, he posted via his verified X handle that 50 men and 50 women were needed to fund the Biafra movement with $10,000 monthly for the next six months, with the promise that this would lead to the restoration of Biafra by the end of 2023.
The Nigerian government had made unsuccessful and repeated efforts to extradite Ekpa to Nigeria to face prosecution, while in February 2023, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Leena Pylvanainen, over threat by Ekpa to disrupt the country’s 2023 general elections.
Penpushing reports that the then Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, had met with the Finnish ambassador and asked for the Finnish government’s cooperation to arrest Ekpa over threats to disrupt the exercise.
The Finnish Ambassador pointed out that although the Finnish government was concerned about the situation, stressing that Ekpa’s rights, as a Finnish citizen, needed to be considered, explaining that everything has to obviously be done according to Finnish legislation.
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