UPDATE: FINNISH COURT SETS MAY 2025 AS DEADLINE FOR SIMON EKPA’S TRIAL
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According to Finnish authorities, Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafran separatist leader, will be on trial in Finland by May 2025.
Ekpa is still being held at the Päijät-Häme District Court after being detained along with four other people on suspicion of engaging in terrorism-related activities.
The trial timeline was confirmed by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation Senior Detective Superintendent Mikko Laaksonen.
“The date for bringing up possible charges by the prosecution was set by the district court to May 2025,” he said, according to a report.
Laaksonen went on to say that if needed, Ekpa and Finnish officials could ask for a reassessment of the case in two weeks.
Ekpa is a Nigerian-born Finnish national who is accused of inciting violence, financing terrorism, and encouraging others to commit acts of terrorism.
According to Finnish police, Ekpa targeted both officials and citizens in the South-East area of Nigeria by inciting violence on social media.
According to reports, his actions caused enforced sit-at-home orders and rising regional insecurity, which resulted in economic losses of around ₦4 trillion.
The arrests were made as part of a larger probe that called for international assistance.
Ekpa’s detention has garnered attention because of his involvement in the ongoing upheaval in Nigeria, even though Finnish authorities have not released any additional information regarding cross-border efforts.
Ekpa, the self-declared “Prime Minister” of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, became well-known for calling for a boycott of the general elections in Nigeria in 2023, which sparked turmoil and bloodshed.
Since 2021, the Finnish Central Criminal Police have connected him to concerted attacks against Nigerian civilians and security forces, with social media being a key source of instigation and funding for his purported actions.
Ekpa’s arrest has been hailed as a major step in addressing violence in Nigeria’s South-East. The Federal Government expressed its intent to monitor the legal proceedings in Finland closely.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the arrest as “a critical step in addressing IPOB’s activities and neutralising the influence of transnational actors on our national security.”
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South, also welcomed the development.
Speaking on Channels Television, Abaribe criticized Ekpa’s methods, saying, “The arrest of Simon Ekpa is very welcome because this will tell those purveyors of violence instigated by Simon Ekpa that he is not serious. He has only exploited the Biafran agitation to perpetrate crimes.”
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