ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The controversial Biafra separatist and self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, has appointed a new legal representative as he prepares for his upcoming trial in Finland scheduled for June 2025.
Ekpa, who holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Finland, was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024.
The District Court of Päijät-Häme subsequently ordered his detention on allegations of “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”
The alleged offence reportedly took place in 2021 within the Lahti municipality of Finland.
According to Finnish investigators, Ekpa is accused of using his online platforms to incite violence and terror across Nigeria’s South-East region.
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s requests for his extradition to face charges in Nigeria, the efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
In 2023, Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Mikko Laaksonen, confirmed that a Finnish court had set May 2025 as the deadline for the prosecution to file formal charges against Ekpa.
Laaksonen also emphasized that Ekpa would remain in custody as “the alleged offence is not bailable.”
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Vanguard reports that in earlier 2025, Nigeria’s sanctions committee listed Ekpa among individuals and organisations designated as alleged terrorism financiers. In line with the designation, the committee also froze the bank accounts of the listed entities and individuals.
According to a report by BBC Pidgin, Ekpa recently changed legal counsel following the retirement of his former lawyer.
His new lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, confirmed that he had officially taken over the case and was currently reviewing all related documentation.
“I’m currently checking through,” Gummerus said, adding that Ekpa’s court appearance is set for June 2025.
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