The authorities in Finland have frozen the assets of Simon Ekpa, the self-styled prime minister of Biafra in exile.
Police arrested Ekpa in November on suspicion of terrorism offences, and the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland ordered his remand that same month.
Ekpa is being held in Kylmäkoski Prison, states an earlier report by local newspaper Yle. It is considered one of the toughest prisons in the world.
According to the report, the Finnish Bureau of Investigation froze his assets and those of his accomplices along with those of companies associated with him.
“Police suspect that Ekpa has incited people to violence and other crimes through his online broadcasts. In broadcasts made from his home in Lahti, Ekpa has declared curfews for residents of southeastern Nigeria,” the report stated.
“The Keskusrikospoliisi (KRP) has frozen the assets of Simon Ekpa and other suspects in terrorist crimes, as well as associations and companies associated with them.”
Meanwhile, Mika Ojamies, Head of International Communications of Yle, told The PUNCH that Ekpa was still in prison.
He is suspected of committing a crime between August 23, 2021, and November 18, 2024.
FIJ earlier reported that Ekpa is the self-styled Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in-Exile (BRGIE) and a controversial figure known for using social media to incite violence under the guise of the Biafran independence struggle.
He has used social media to solicit funds while agitating for an independent Biafran nation through the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ground and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
These groups have contributed to violent attacks, killings and maiming of residents in Nigeria’s southeastern region. Their frequent calls for sit-at-home orders have resulted in economic disruptions in the region.
