Supporters of Simon Ekpa, the controversial pro-Biafra agitator have staged a protest in Finland calling for his release from detention.
Meanwhile, Finnish authorities have outlined the reasons why Ekpa cannot be granted bail in Finland.
Mikko Laaksonen, a Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, told Punch newspaper on Saturday that the Finnish legal system does not allow bail for suspects accused of the types of offenses Ekpa is facing.
Ekpa, along with four others, was arrested on November 21 on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities.
Finnish authorities stated that Ekpa “has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in southeastern Nigeria.”
Following his arrest, the Päijät-Häme District Court ordered that Ekpa be held in custody, citing “probable cause” for suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
He is expected to face charges in May 2025.
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Ekpa has also been indicted for financing terrorism alongside the other suspects.
Additionally, Finnish authorities suspect Ekpa of violating the Finnish Money Collection Act by allegedly collecting funds for unlawful purposes between August 23, 2021, and November 18, 2024, in Lahti, a city in Finland.
A Nigerian-Finnish citizen, Ekpa leads the “Autopilot” faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group advocating for the creation of an independent Biafra state in southeastern and parts of south-south Nigeria.
The group has been linked to violent attacks in these regions, though IPOB has consistently denied involvement in such incidents.
Meanwhile, just hours after Ekpa’s arrest, the IPOB faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu publicly disowned him, stating that Ekpa was never a member of their group.
When asked if Mr Ekpa’s charges were bailable or if the prosecution was disposed to releasing him on bail, Mr Laaksonen responded, “Finnish criminal procedure/coercive measures do not recognise bail procedure.
“Our procedure is based on, depending on the case, remand or travel ban as coercive measures for limiting freedom of movement for persons suspected of offences to which such measures are applicable.”
The situation indicates that Mr. Ekpa will stay in prison until May 2025, when he is set to stand trial at the District Court of Päijät-Häme in the Northern European country.
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