Finnish Authorities Freeze Assets of Pro-Biafra Agitator Simon Ekpa Over Alleged Terrorism
Finnish authorities have frozen the assets of Simon Ekpa, a controversial pro-Biafra activist, who is currently facing charges of terrorism. Ekpa, a dual citizen of Nigeria and Finland, was arrested on November 21 alongside four other suspects by Finnish law enforcement.
The Päijät-Häme district court subsequently ordered Ekpa’s imprisonment for allegedly disseminating terrorist propaganda on social media. The crimes, according to investigators, were committed in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
Ekpa is accused of inciting violence and terror in Nigeria’s southeast through inflammatory content shared on his social media platforms. The Nigerian government has long sought Ekpa’s extradition to face prosecution, but Finnish authorities have stated that his alleged offences are non-bailable. His trial is scheduled to begin in May 2025.
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Finnish authorities have frozen the assets of Ekpa and his alleged co-conspirators. According to Finnish media outlet Yle, the freeze also extends to businesses linked to Ekpa. This development underscores Finland’s commitment to curbing the financing of activities linked to terrorism.
Ekpa is currently being held at the Kylmäkoski Prison, a facility established in 1993 in the Kylmäkoski municipality.
This is not Ekpa’s first brush with Finnish law enforcement. In February 2023, he was arrested at his residence in Lahti but released after hours of questioning.
