Simon Ekpa to face Trial in Finnish Court by May 2025
The pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa is set to face trial in Finnish Court on May 2025.
A report from The Punch has it that Simon Ekpa who was arrested some days ago in Finland will be tried in a Finnish Court by May 2025.
The Finnish-Nigerian who declared himself Prime Minister of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was remanded and charged to court by the District Court of Päijät-Häme, Finland, for allegedly funding terrorism and inciting violence in the Southeastern region of Nigeria.
Igbo Tv had reported that Simon Ekpa was arrested alongside four people who also face the same charges of financing terrorism.
The Finnish Court accused Simon Ekpa of inciting crimes with terrorist intent using his social media channels.
After his arrest in Finland, lots of Nigerians expressed relief and thanked Finland for holding him away, at least for a while. While several others who seemed to have been influenced by his philosophies and secession ideologies taunted the Nigerian government, and the rest of Nigerians for deriving joy in his arrest.
Simon Ekpa is known to be the chieftain behind sit-at-homes in the southeastern region of Nigeria, and has been the reason many innocent lives have been lost.
Some of the Governors and political leaders of the Southeast region expressed their delight when Simon Ekpa was reportedly arrested by the Finland authorities and Enugu State Governor even offered to provide evidence on his trial, if needed.
The information about Simon Ekpa probably facing trial by May 2025 was disclosed to The Punch by Mikko Laaksonen, who is a Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
Laaksonen who told Punch that investigation was ongoing. “Due to the ongoing investigation,” he said, “no further details can be disclosed.”
“The date for bringing up possible charges by the prosecution was set by the district court to May 2025.”
“In a basic situation regarding the remand, the next possible hearing can be held no earlier than two weeks from the previous hearing, should the parties in question seek for the matter to be re-evaluated by the district court,” Laaksonen said.
Recall that of recent, Igbo Tv had reported about Simon Ekpa’s first hearing where he defended himself saying, he was just a content creator and nothing more. Also noting that the Prime Minister his followers call him has no real seriousness to it.
His supporters who still feel very attached to him, believe his claim was strategic, that he did not outrightly deny Biafra. But just a strategy to avoid trial.
The news of Simon Ekpa’s arrest had caused an outburst on the internet, Nigerians are all watching for what would become of the case.
There have also been rumors that Simon would be extradited to Nigeria to face charges in the country he has been committing crimes against.
The Nigerian government has however, offered its cooperation concerning the matter, stating through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the arrest is significant in addressing the activities of IPOB and mitigating the influence of transnational actors on the national security of Nigeria.
