By Aliu Akeem
According to Finnish police, pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa, who was detained in Finland for suspected terrorism-related actions, could be charged in May 2025.
Mikko Laaksonen, a Senior Detective Superintendent of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, revealed on Tuesday that the district court had given prosecutors until May 2025 to submit potential charges against Ekpa.
Ekpa and four other people were arrested by the Finnish government last week on suspicion of engaging in terror-related acts, such as inciting violence and financing terrorism.
According to police, Ekpa, who is referred to as the self-declared prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, allegedly utilized social media to incite violence against both government and people in the South-East.
The Päijät-Häme District Court remanded Ekpa in detention on allegations of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent, according to the local newspaper .
According to the publication, the other individuals were arrested for allegedly funding terrorist activities, and the Finnish Central Criminal Police confirmed the arrests in a statement last Thursday.
Detective Laaksonen responded by providing an update on the case, stating that no more information could be released and that the investigation was still underway.
“No further details can be disclosed due to the ongoing investigation,” he said in response to a question about when Ekpa’s case will be heard in court.
“The district court set May 2025 as the deadline for the prosecution to present potential charges.
“After two weeks, he said, Ekpa and the Finnish authorities can ask for another evaluation.
In a basic remand scenario, “should the parties in question seek for the matter to be re-evaluated by the district court, the next possible hearing can be held no earlier than two weeks from the previous hearing,” Laaksonen clarified.
International attention has been paid to the case, and Finnish police have confirmed that collaboration across borders is essential to the inquiry.
But officials have not disclosed any more details regarding the scope or character of the global cooperation.
Because of the nature of the case, international collaboration is a component of the inquiry, but at this time, no more remarks can be made on the matter, the NBI said.
Following his efforts to boycott Nigeria’s general elections in 2023, Ekpa became well-known, which sparked aggressive police tactics and attacks on locals.He was initially taken into custody in February 2023 for inciting unrest and giving Igbos and other South-East people orders to stay at home.
Nigerians around the world signed petitions calling on the Finnish and Nigerian governments, along with the European Union, to take measures in response to the suspect’s actions.
Leena Pylvanainen, the Finnish ambassador to Nigeria, was called by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in retaliation to call for Finland’s assistance in countering Ekpa’s threats.
Ekpa was sentenced to prison last Thursday by the District Court of Päijät-Häme, Finland, “with probable cause on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
” The other defendants are suspected of financing terrorism, while Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish national, was charged with encouraging crimes with terrorist intent.
He has supported a contentious proposal for an independent Biafran state and is a well-known member of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra.
In recent years, his speech has been more aggressive, openly endorsing violence and interfering with Nigerian elections.
Ekpa has been connected by Finnish police to organized attacks against the security forces and people, some of which date back to 2021, according to investigations.
A key component of the case is his use of social media as a venue for fundraising and incitement.
In the South-East, the ESN’s enforced sit-at-home directives had disastrous economic effects.
These operations and the ensuing insecurity have reportedly cost the region more than ₦4 trillion in just two years.
Following Ekpa’s arrest, the Federal Government announced it would keep an eye on the court case in Finland.
The government characterized Ekpa’s arrest as a crucial step in combating IPOB’s activities and reducing the impact of transnational actors on Nigeria’s national security, according to a statement released Friday by Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
