Finnish authorities have clarified the reasons behind their decision to deny bail to Simon Ekpa, a controversial pro-Biafra agitator.
According to Mikko Laaksonen, a Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland's National Bureau of Investigation, the Finnish legal framework does not accommodate bail for suspects accused of serious offenses such as those faced by Ekpa.
Ekpa was apprehended on November 21, 2024, alongside four others, under suspicion of engaging in terrorist activities.
These allegations include inciting violence and committing crimes against civilians in southeastern Nigeria.
The District Court of Päijät-Häme has ordered his detention "with probable cause on suspicion of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent." He is scheduled to face charges in May 2025.
The charges against Ekpa extend to financing terrorism and violating 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 leader of the Autopilot faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ekpa advocates for an independent state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria. However, following his arrest, the IPOB faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu disowned him, asserting that he was never a member of their group.
Laaksonen explained, “Finnish criminal procedure/coercive measures do not recognise 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 offences to which such measures are applicable.”
This means Ekpa will remain in custody until his trial next year, underscoring the stringent nature of Finnish legal proceedings in cases involving international terrorism charges.
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