By Abiola Olawale
The Finnish authorities have reportedly frozen the financial assets of Simon Ekpa, a self-acclaimed leader of Biafra.
According to reports emerging on Saturday, the Finnish government has also extended this asset freeze to include companies that are affiliated with Ekpa.
This comes as Ekpa is embroiled in serious allegations concerning activities related to terrorism and has been held in detention for weeks amidst on going investigations.
According to reports, Ekpa is reportedly held in Kylmäkoski vankilvanillaäkoski prison), which is regarded as one of the world’s toughest prisons.
The prison facility is known for accommodating people who have committed serious crimes, including violent suspects and sex offenders, and is said to be the largest closed-unit facility in Finland.
The prison currently houses 113 prisoners, mostly convicts and remand inmates. The New Diplomat reports that Ekpe’s, a dual citizen of Nigeria and Finland, was arrested on November 21 by Finnish law enforcement authorities and was subsequently remanded in custody by the district court of Päijät-Häme.
He faces various charges including alleged “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media,” a crime he is accused of committing in 2021 in Lahti, Finland.He is currently held in custody until his upcoming trial, scheduled to begin on May 2025.
