Finnish-Nigerian separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, and four others have been arrested in Finland on suspicion of terror-related activities, especially publicly inciting crime with terrorist intent and financing terrorist offenses.
Ekpa, the self-declared Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in exile, was remanded in custody by Finland’s Päijät-Häme District Court on suspicion of publicly inciting terrorist activities.
In a statement published on its website on Thursday, the Central Criminal Police in Finland said it arrested five persons on suspicion of terrorist crimes.
The police said the main suspect was arrested “on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent,” while four others were arrested “for financing a terrorist crime.”
The police added: “Claims will be heard in Päijät-Häme district court today, November 21.”
The statement said: “The detention demands are related to the preliminary investigation, in which a Finnish citizen of Nigerian background, born in the 1980s, is suspected of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
“The police suspect that the man has promoted his efforts from Finland by means that have led to violence against civilians and authorities as well as other crimes in the region of South-Eastern Nigeria.”
The statement quoted the head of the investigation, Crime Commissioner Otto Hiltunen from the Central Crime Police, as saying that “the man has carried out this activity, among other things, on his social media channels.”
The statement added: “Four other persons are suspected of financing the aforementioned activity. All five suspects of the crime have been arrested during the beginning of the week.
“International cooperation has been carried out during the preliminary investigation.”
Persecondnews recalls that the self-proclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile has claimed responsibility for violent attacks on Nigerian security agents and those suspected of sympathizing with Nigeria, framing these actions as reprisals for the perceived terror inflicted by Nigerian security forces on ‘Biafra territory.’
From his base in Finland, Ekpa champions extreme measures to bring about the separation of Nigeria’s southeast region and parts of neighbouring states, seeking to create a sovereign Biafra nation, a quest that led to Nigeria’s Civil War between 1967 and 1970.
His methods include the brutal enforcement of an illegal stay-at-home order on Mondays in the region, in addition to attacks on federal government institutions within the reach of brutal enforcers.
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