Simon Ekpa, the leader of the proscribed militant group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been arrested in Finland on charges related to alleged terrorist activities.
According to local reports in Finland, the Päijät-Häme District Court has ordered Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish politician from Lahti, to be detained on probable cause and suspicion of publicly inciting people to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
The court states that Ekpa is accused of spreading separatist propaganda via social media.
The alleged crime took place on August 23, 2021, in Lahti. In addition to Ekpa, Finnish authorities are also seeking the arrest of four other individuals on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses.
Ekpa, born in 1985, is a Finnish citizen who has openly declared himself as the leader of a separatist group fighting for the creation of an independent Biafran state in southeastern Nigeria.
Authorities believe that Ekpa has been promoting violence from Finland, which has led to attacks on civilians, government forces, and other crimes in Nigeria’s Southeast.
“His activities have been carried out through social media channels,” said Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen from the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation.
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In a video posted during the 2023 Nigerian general elections, Ekpa, sitting in his Lahti kitchen, declared that elections would not take place in the Biafra region and that everyone there must participate.
He also expressed support for the use of violence.
“I condone violence against Nigerian government forces. It’s a matter of self-defense. They constantly attack us and have committed numerous war crimes. We are forced to defend ourselves,” he said in the video, which received around 800,000 views on X (formerly Twitter).
The request for Ekpa’s detention is linked to a pre-trial investigation into his alleged incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
Finnish authorities have also sought the arrest of four others, with accusations of financing terrorist activities.
The five suspects were arrested earlier this week.
While Ekpa resides in Lahti, two other suspects live in Helsinki, and one has no registered address, according to authorities.
International cooperation was involved in the criminal investigation.
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This marks the second time Ekpa has been arrested in Finland.
Previously, in 2023, the National Bureau of Investigation detained him on suspicion of a money collection offense, although he was released later that same evening.
Ekpa is affiliated with Finland’s National Coalition Party.
However, the party has not publicly commented on his membership.
Ekpa currently serves as a representative on the Lahti Region Public Transport Committee, but he has not attended recent meetings.
Timo Elo, the party’s secretary, declined to comment on whether Ekpa is still a member of the party. “We do not disclose information about our members,” Elo said.
When asked if the party would expel a member suspected of terrorist activities, Elo said it would likely be considered.
Pirjo Mäljä, the Executive Director of the Häme National Coalition Party, also refused to comment on Ekpa’s situation. She stated that the police and judiciary should handle the case, after which the party would assess the situation.
As the court has not yet convicted Ekpa, he remains a suspect.
The legal process for his case, including the pre-trial investigation, could take years.
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