Finnish authorities have stated that Simon Ekpa, the controversial pro-Biafra agitator arrested on 21 November, cannot be granted bail due to the nature of the charges against him.
A Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Mikko Laaksonen, confirmed this in an interview, explaining that Finland’s legal system prohibits bail for suspects accused of serious offences, including terrorism.
Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen and leader of the IPOB faction known as Autopilot, was arrested in Lahti, Finland, alongside four others.
He is accused of public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and financing terrorism. Finnish police allege that he facilitated violence and crimes in South-eastern Nigeria.
The Päijät-Häme District Court has ordered Ekpa’s continued detention pending his trial, scheduled for May 2025.
Authorities claim that between 23 August 2021 and 18 November 2024, Ekpa violated Finland’s Money Collection Act by illegally raising funds to finance terrorism.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu has distanced itself from Ekpa, asserting that he has never been a member of the group.
IPOB, which advocates for the secession of the South-east and parts of the South-south from Nigeria to form an independent Biafra, has been linked to violent incidents in the regions—a claim the group denies.
Finnish authorities maintain that Ekpa’s detention aligns with efforts to ensure accountability for activities that have had significant implications both within and outside Finland.