BREAKING: Simon Ekpa Arrested, Charged With Terrorism

By Akinwale Kasali

The self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa, has been arrested.

Based in Finland, Ekpa was arrested by the Finnish Police. Arrested along with four others, they are in custody, and Ekpa has been charged with terrorism.

A report from Finland informed that Ekpa is in custody on the orders of the District Court of Päijät-Häme.

Among other things, he is charged with suspicion of causing public incitement in order to commit a crime which borders on terrorism.

A statement on Thursday, November 21, published on its website, the Central Criminal Police, Finland confirmed it arrested five persons on suspicion of terrorist crimes.

The Police revealed that the main suspect (Ekpa), was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent”. The  others were arrested “for financing a terrorist crime”.

The Police further  declared that: “Claims will be heard in Päijät-Häme district court today, November 21.”

The statement reads in part:  “The detention demands are related to the preliminary investigation, in which a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, born in the 1980s, is suspected of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.

“The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland by means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-Eastern Nigeria.”

The  Head of the investigation, Crime Commissioner Otto Hiltunen from the Central Crime Police was quoted  as saying that “the man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels.

“Four other persons are suspected of financing the aforementioned activity. All five suspects of the crime have been arrested during the beginning of the week.

“International cooperation has been carried out during the preliminary investigation”.

Ekpa entered into national consciousness in Nigeria after the rendition of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was arrested. That was when he introduced himself as a disciple of the detained IPOB Leader, and gave the impression that he had become the leader with Kanu in the custody of the Nigerian Government and being prosecuted in Court.

But Ekpa soon fell out with the IPOB Leadership over his conduct which IPOB said ran contrary to their ideals. He has disagreed with IPOB on a couple of issues, including the cancellation by IPOB, of the weakly sit-at-home order which has brought the economy of the South-east to its knees. While IPOB said stop, Ekpa said continue, and atimes, imposed it for days on end.

IPOB has since expelled him from the organisation, and holds him responsible for the inexplicable and unprecedented blood bath and mindless destructions in the South-east.

This is the second time Ekpa would be arrested in Finland. In the earlier arrest months ago, over issues, allegedly, unrelated to Terrorism, he was let go hours later.

The Nigerian Government had, on a couple of times, reported Ekpa to the Finnish   Government.

Ekpa, until his arrest was billed to declare an independent Biafra Republic  on December 2, 2024.