Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra separatist, has
appointed a new legal representative ahead of his upcoming trial in Finland
scheduled for June 2025.
BACKGROUND
In November 2024, Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by law enforcement in Finland.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of
Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti
municipality.
He is accused of instigating violence and inciting terror in
the south-east of Nigeria through his social media pages.
Nigerian authorities have been demanding the extradition of
Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, for prosecution. However, the
effort has been yielded the right result.
Last year, Mikko Laaksonen, the senior detective
superintendent at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Finland,
disclosed that a Finnish district court fixed May 2025 for the prosecution to
file charges against Ekpa.
Subsequently, Laaksonen said Ekpa will remain in custody
until his trial since the alleged offence is not bailable.
In March, Nigeria sanctions committee (NSC) designated Ekpa
and 16 entities as alleged terrorism financiers in the country.
The committee also ordered the freezing of the bank accounts
connected to the alleged terrorism financiers.
EKPA GETS NEW LAWYER
According to BBC Pidgin, Ekpa has changed his lawyer because
the previous one had “retired from service”.
Kaarle Gummerus, Ekpa’s new lawyer, said he had received the
pre-trial file of his client and he is “currently checking through”.
Gummerus added that Ekpa will appear in court in June 2025
to face trial.
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