News Investigators/ Controversial leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa has been arrested in Finland.
A British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC report said Mr. Ekpa was sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Mr. Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also arrested four other men over alleged terrorism offences.
A citizen of Finland and Nigeria, Mr. Ekpa often describes himself as leader of the separatist IPOB group.
Finnish police say Ekpa’s activities and social media rhetoric may have fanned the flames of violence in the south-east of Nigeria.
“He carries out these activities from his social media channels, for example,” said Otto Hiltunen, detective chief inspector of the NBI.
In February 2023, Mr. Ekpa was arrested by police at his residence in Lahti but was released after hours of questioning. Using his social media channels, Ekpa had directed Igbos not to participate in Nigeria’s 2023 general election.
In September 2021, the Biafra agitator and secessionist denounced Nigeria and vowed to return the medal he won for the country at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships
