The Finnish police have announced that Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will remain in custody until his trial.
According to the police, the Finnish legal system does not allow bail for offences of this nature.
On November 21, law enforcement authorities in the northern European country arrested the pro-Biafra activist. He was later remanded in custody by the District Court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Ekpa is alleged to have committed the offence in 2021 in the municipality of Lahti. He is accused of inciting violence and promoting acts of terror in south-east Nigeria via his social media platforms.
The Nigerian federal government has been demanding Ekpa’s extradition for prosecution. A dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, he is scheduled to face charges in May 2025.
When asked if the charges against Ekpa were bailable, Mikko Laaksonen, a senior detective superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, stated in an email on Saturday: “The Finnish criminal procedure/coercive measures do not recognise a bail system.”
“Our procedure relies on, depending on the case, remand or travel bans as coercive measures to restrict the freedom of movement of persons suspected of offences to which such measures apply,” he added.
