Prosecutors in Finland have formally charged an individual with inciting terrorism online, in a case linked to efforts to establish an independent Biafra state in Nigeria. While the Finnish National Prosecution Authority did not disclose the individual’s name, Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified the accused as Nigerian separatist figure Simon Ekpa.
According to the prosecution authority, the charges include public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group. The alleged offenses occurred between 2021 and 2024 in Lahti, Finland.Ekpa, who refers to himself as the leader of the Biafra Republic’s government in exile, was detained in November. Authorities stated he remains in custody and has denied all charges.
The accused is recognized as a leading voice in a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an organization advocating for the independence of southeastern Nigeria—a region that experienced a civil war in the late 1960s.
In addition to his separatist activities, Ekpa has held a local position with Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party in Lahti, where he served on a public transport committee.
When Ekpa was taken into custody, Finnish authorities also sought the detention of four other individuals suspected of financing his operations. However, the prosecution authority has since dropped charges against those four due to insufficient evidence. Ekpa has previously been the subject of multiple fact-checks by AFP for spreading disinformation as part of his pro-independence advocacy.
Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
