By Kolawole Ojebisi
Finland-based Nigerian separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa and four other individuals have been arrested in Finland over terror-related activities.
According to a local report in Finland, Ekpa a self-declared Prime Minsiter of Biafra Republic in Exile, was remanded in custody by the district court of Päijät-Häme on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
In a Thursday statement published on its website, 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 reads, “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”.
“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,” the statement added.
Though based in Finland, Ekpa has been holding the fort for the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
He has been fuelling crisis in the Southeast region of the country by making incendiary statements.
Ekpa has sustained, even in the absence of Kanu, the stay-at-home order on Mondays in the southeast.
Recently, he warned young Nigerians of southeastern extraction against applying to join the Nigeria Army adding that failure to comply with the order will attract severe penalties.
