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A Finnish court has begun the terrorism trial of Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra agitator.
The Finnish government, in mid-May, charged Mr Ekpa with public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent and participation in a terrorist group.
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The Finnish-Nigerian citizen appeared before the Päijät-Häme District Court on Friday to face the terrorism-related charges in a preparatory hearing, Yle, a Finnish newspaper, reported.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr Ekpa has been actively involved in a separatist movement seeking independence of Biafra in South-eastern Nigeria.
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The prosecution argued that the Biafra agitator’s separatist activities, conducted online and coordinated from Finland, may constitute terrorism under Finnish law.
Prosecutors are demanding a six-year prison sentence for Mr Ekpa.
“We have a great deal of evidence regarding this (Ekpa) individual’s online activity and communications,” Sampsa Hakala, the state prosecutor, told the court.
The prosecution, however, acknowledged that obtaining detailed information about the alleged terrorism-related acts will be difficult, considering that the activities are believed to have taken place in Africa.
Ekpa denies terrorism charges
At the pre-trial hearing on Friday, Mr Ekpa, through his lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, raised concerns about the reliability of information coming from Nigeria.
During police interviews, Mr Ekpa denied the terrorism charges against him, which also included suspicions of ordering weapons for pro-Biafra groups.
The district court is also examining allegations of aggravated tax fraud against the Biafra agitator.
The Biafra agitator is suspected of spreading separatist propaganda from his home in Lahti, a town in Finland.
The Finnish police have been investigating the case alongside the Nigerian government.
Arrest and prosecution
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).
READ ALSO: Simon Ekpa will soon be repatriated for supporting Kanu, witness tells court
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 the 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.
Meanwhile, hours after Mr Ekpa’s arrest, the IPOB faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu disowned him (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.
However, the four other suspects were later released during preliminary investigation for lack of evidence against them.
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