Finnish govt charges Simon Ekpa with terrorism

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The Finnish government has charged controversial Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, with terrorism offences ahead of his trial.

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The deputy prosecutor general in Finland charged Mr Ekpa with public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent and participation in a terrorist group, Yle, a Finnish media outlet, reported.

The media outfit reported that the charges were filed on Friday morning and that the case will be heard in the Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti.

The prosecutor said the charges are linked to Mr Ekpa’s secessionist activities in Nigeria’s south-east, often referred to as “Biafra land.”

The Biafra agitator is suspected of spreading separatist propaganda from his home in Lahti.

The Finnish police have been investigating the case alongside the Nigerian government.

A hearing date has yet to be set.

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Arrest and prosecution

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Ekpa, 40, was arrested alongside four others on 21 November 2024 on suspicion of terrorist activities.

The Finnish police said Mr Ekpa “has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in South-eastern Nigeria.”

The District Court of Päijät-Häme later ordered that the pro-Biafra agitator be imprisoned “with probable cause on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.”

A Nigerian-Finnish citizen, Mr Ekpa heads Autopilot, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

IPOB is 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.

The separatist group has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions, although it has repeatedly denied its involvement in the attacks.

Hours after Mr Ekpa’s arrest, the IPOB faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu, disowned Mr Ekpa, explaining that the pro-Biafra agitator was never their member.

Mr Ekpa was initially indicted for financing terrorism alongside the four other suspects.

The police have suspicion that the Biafra agitator committed the crime of collecting money in violation of the Finnish Money Collection Act.

The Finnish police said he allegedly committed the crimes between 23 August 2021 and 18 November 2024 in Lahti, a town in Finland.

READ ALSO: Simon Ekpa will soon be repatriated for supporting Kanu, witness tells court

However, the four other suspects were later released during preliminary investigation.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the district court had set May 2025 as the deadline for prosecutors to present possible charges against Mr Ekpa.