Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been arrested and remanded in Finland for disseminating terrorist propaganda.
Reports show that the district court of Päijät-Häme found Ekpa guilty of the offence, which occurred in 2021 in the Lahti municipality. The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also confirmed the arrest of four additional suspects in connection with alleged terrorist activities.
Ekpa, who holds dual citizenship in Finland and Nigeria, has identified himself as the leader of IPOB following the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu. Finnish authorities have accused him of using social media platforms to incite violence in Nigeria’s south-east region.
Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen of the NBI stated, “He carries out these activities from his social media channels, for example.”
This is not the first time Ekpa has faced legal action. In February 2023, he was arrested at his residence in Lahti but was released after hours of questioning.
Ekpa gained notoriety for urging Igbos to boycott Nigeria’s 2023 general elections through his social media channels. In September 2021, he renounced Nigeria and pledged to return the medal he won for the country at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships.
Ekpa’s rhetoric and actions have drawn criticism for allegedly fuelling violence in the ongoing conflict in Nigeria’s south-east.
