Finnish Authorities Explain Denial of Bail for Simon Ekpa
Finnish authorities have outlined the reasons why Simon Ekpa, a controversial pro-Biafra agitator, cannot be granted bail in Finland. Mikko Laaksonen, a Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, clarified in an interview that the Finnish legal framework does not permit bail for suspects accused of the serious offenses Ekpa is facing. Ekpa, along with four others, was arrested on November 21 on suspicion of terrorist activities. The Finnish police allege that he has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in southeastern Nigeria. Following his arrest, the District Court of Päijät-Häme ordered that Ekpa be detained “with probable cause on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.” He is scheduled to face charges in May 2025, which include accusations of financing terrorism alongside the other suspects. Finnish authorities suspect that Ekpa violated the Finnish Money Collection Act by allegedly collecting funds for terrorist activities between August 23, 2021, and November 18, 2024, in Lahti, Finland. As a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, Ekpa leads the Autopilot faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that advocates for an independent state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria. While IPOB has been associated with violent incidents in the region, it has consistently denied any involvement in such activities. Notably, hours after Ekpa's arrest, the IPOB faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu disowned him, asserting that he was never a member of their group. When questioned about the bailability of Ekpa’s charges, Laaksonen explained, “Finnish criminal procedure/coercive measures do not recognize bail procedure. Our procedure is based on, depending on the case, remand or travel ban as coercive measures for limiting freedom of movement for persons suspected of offenses to which such measures are applicable.
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