Nigerian separatist and Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa has been reportedly arrested by Finnish authorities.
According to a Finland news outlet HS, the police escorted the separatist out of his apartment in Lahti on Thursday.
Criminal Investigator, Tommi Reen from the Central Criminal Police told the HS news outlet that the Keskusrikospoliisi (KRP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Finland had a police operation in a private apartment in the centre of Lahti.
The platform claimed that they had gone to Ekpa’s residence for an interview but the Finland police, KRP, surprisingly answered when the HS team rang the separatist bell.
HS in their report, stated that they saw when the police escorted the Nigerian separatist Simon Ekpa out of his apartment in Lahti.
The Nigerian government has asked Finland to intervene in the activities of the Lahti separatist. On Thursday morning, KRP prevented HS from entering Ekpa’s apartment and said that the interview would be moved “to the future”.
HS in their report, narrated how Simon Ekpa was arrested:
Simon Ekpa, a separatist FROM LAHTI, does not answer the doorbell. It’s almost 11:30 on Thursday.
We had agreed on an interview at Ekpa’s apartment near Lahti market. As late as 10:06 a.m., Ekpa had published a tweet to his almost 70,000 followers.
“We the people of Biafra will fight to the end this time,” the last message read.
Simon Ekpa
Simon Ekpa pushes for the independence of Biafra, which is located in South-Eastern Nigeria, at all costs. He is inciting people on social media to boycott Saturday’s presidential election.
Lahti’s Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper reported on Thursday that Ekpa “doesn’t hide the fact that he is participating in the elimination of government officials.” He even leads the operation and acquires weapons”.
HS also reported that Simon Ekpa publicly claims to have replaced Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu after he was arrested. He also claims to command IPOB’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
But the tangle is complicated. Some of those claiming to be members of IPOB or ESN accuse Ekpa of lying and misusing Kanu’s name.
The purpose is to demand that Ekpa explain what his separatism and opposition to the elections is all about.
WE ARE late. Ekpa’s neighbour soon opens the door to the stairs. That’s where the journey ends.
A police officer from the Central Criminal Police is waiting in Crabu.
“The interview moves into the distant future,” he says.
When asked if it is because the interrogations take a long time or because it is not possible to meet the person we are after, the police answer that “both and”.
“Krp does its job here,” he says.
The cameraman who was present at HS later testified when Simon Ekpa was escorted out of the apartment by plainclothes policemen.
CRIMINAL INSPECTOR Tommi Reen from the Central Criminal Police confirms to HS on the phone that on Thursday, the KRP had a police operation in a private apartment in the center of Lahti in connection with the ongoing preliminary investigation.
The police arrested one man from the apartment. Krp suspects the arrested man of a crime, but does not comment on the crime at this stage.
Reen did not confirm the man’s identity, but only spoke in general about the operation in the apartment in the center of Lahti. He did not comment further on the matter.
NIGERIA has asked Finland to intervene in Ekpa’s activities. Last week, the Nigerian foreign minister invited the Finnish ambassador Leena Pylvänäinen to a meeting because of the topic.
Jussi Nummelin , the team leader for Western and Central Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland , told HS a week ago on Thursday that Finland shares the concern for security, and condemns violence and incitement to it, as well as “actions aimed at preventing people from exercising their democratic rights”.
Nummelin emphasized, however, that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not an actual party in the case, but that the police have jurisdiction if it is a question of a suspected crime.