Simon Ekpa, the Finnish-Nigerian separatist leader, has been arrested in Finland along with four others on charges related to terrorism, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing.
According to local reports, Ekpa was remanded in custody by the Päijät-Häme District Court on charges of inciting public support for criminal acts with terrorist intent.
In a statement released Thursday on its website, Finland’s Central Criminal Police confirmed the arrest of five people on suspicion of involvement in terrorist offenses.
Authorities stated that Ekpa was detained primarily for “public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent,” while the other four individuals were arrested for “financing a terrorist crime.”
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The federal government on Friday said it is monitoring the legal proceedings concerning Ekpa.
However, below are few things to know about Simon Ekpa:
1. Simon Ekpa was born on March 21, 1985
2. He was born in Ohaukwu, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
3. Ekpa He has lived in Finland since 2007
4. He holds Finnish citizenship
5. Ekpa was an athlete who won a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships
6. He sustained a knee injury which made him transition from sports to activism
7. Ekpa is associated with IPOB
8. He rose to prominence after the arrest of IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in July 2021
9. Ekpa initially serving as the lead broadcaster for Radio Biafra before being removed for breaching organizational rules
10. He leads a faction known as “Autopilot,” which has been accused of inciting violence and enforcing sit-at-home orders in southeastern Nigeria.
11. Ekpa was previously detained in 2023 for fundraising fraud.
12. On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses.
