File photo. Simon Ekpa with Finland law enforcement. Photo credit: Helsingin Sanomat
The Finnish police say Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will remain in custody until his trial.
The police said the Finnish legal system does not permit his bail due to the nature of the offence he is being held for.
On November 21, law enforcement in the northern European nation arrested the pro-Biafra agitator.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
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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.
The federal government has been demanding the extradition of Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, for prosecution.
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Also, Ekpa is scheduled to face charges in May 2025.
When asked if Ekpa’s charges were bailable, Mikko Laaksonen, a senior detective superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, in an email sent to PUNCH on Saturday, said: “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 the freedom of movement for persons suspected of offences to which such measures are applicable,” he added.
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