Finnish prosecutors announced on Friday that they have charged a man with inciting terrorism online, and a media report has identified this individual as Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa. This legal action marks a significant development in the case against the controversial figure.
Finland’s National Prosecution Authority stated that it had charged “a Finnish individual in a case involving suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.” This formal statement outlines the nature of the charges brought against the accused.
It added that the alleged crimes had been committed in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024 and were related to the suspect’s efforts to establish Nigeria’s Biafra region as an independent state. This detail connects the alleged actions to Ekpa’s well-known separatist activities.
The prosecution authority did not name the accused but Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified him as separatist leader Simon Ekpa. Although the official statement withheld the name, the media outlet provided the identification.
Ekpa — who claims to lead the Biafra Republic’s government in exile — was detained in November. This indicates that Ekpa has been in custody since his arrest late last year.
According to the prosecution authority, the accused remained in custody and denied the charges. This confirms Ekpa’s continued detention and his rejection of the allegations against him.
Ekpa is known as a self-proclaimed leader of a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which is pushing for the independence of Nigeria’s southeast, where a bloody civil war was fought in the late 1960s. This provides background information on Ekpa’s role within the Biafran separatist movement.
The dual Finnish-Nigerian national has also been a local representative for Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party in the city of Lahti, north of Helsinki, where he has served on a public transport committee. This detail highlights Ekpa’s involvement in Finnish local politics alongside his separatist activities.
When Ekpa was arrested, Finnish authorities also requested that four other people be remanded in custody on suspicion of financing Ekpa’s activities. This indicates that the investigation initially extended to alleged financial supporters of Ekpa.
On Friday, the prosecution authority said the prosecutor had decided to drop charges against four others in the case due to a lack of evidence. This signifies that the legal proceedings will now focus solely on Simon Ekpa.
Ekpa has been the subject of several of AFP’s fact checks in recent years over false claims and disinformation he has made in independence campaigning. This underscores the controversial nature of Ekpa’s public statements and activities.
No comments:
Post a Comment