Simon Ekpa, who describes himself as the Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in-Exile (BRGIE), has been arrested and detained in Finland on charges of alleged terrorist activities.
Local news sources in Finland report that the District Court of Päijät-Häme has sent Ekpa, a Lahti-based Nigerian municipal politician, to prison on probable cause and suspicion of publicly inciting people to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
The court claims that Simon Ekpa has been spreading separatist propaganda on social media.
The alleged crime occurred on August 23, 2021, in Lahti.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also seeking the detention of four additional men on terrorism-related charges.
Ekpa, who has represented Finland’s National Coalition Party (NCP) in local roles, currently serves on Lahti’s public transport committee. He is also known for leading a separatist group in Nigeria advocating for the establishment of an independent Biafran state in the country’s southeast.
Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian separatist leader, is under scrutiny for allegedly using his position to incite violence against civilians and authorities in southeastern Nigeria.
Authorities believe he coordinated these efforts from Finland, leveraging his social media channels to promote harmful activities. As the self-proclaimed “Prime Minister” of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Ekpa’s actions have sparked concerns about his role in fueling unrest in the region.
“This activity has been carried out, among other means, via social media channels,” said Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen in a statement.
|SituationReport|
