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The Finnish police have defined the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Simon Ekpa, the controversial Nigerian who has advocated the usage of violence to scuttle elections in Nigeria’s south-east.
In accordance with an official assertion shared with PREMIUM TIMES by the Finnish embassy in Nigeria, Mr Ekpa was arrested as a part of an investigation by Finland’s Nationwide Bureau of Investigation right into a suspected cash assortment offence.
“The Nationwide Bureau of Investigation has began a felony investigation right into a suspected cash assortment offence dedicated by a person dwelling in Lahti. The suspect was apprehended in Lahti yesterday on 23 February,” the assertion mentioned.
PREMIUM TIMES reported Mr Ekpa’s arrest on Thursday by Finnish police. He was later launched Thursday evening. Though the assertion didn’t explicitly state the title of the arrested particular person, the outline matched particulars from information reviews of Thursday.
In accordance with the Head of Investigation of the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation, Tommi Reen, the police have investigated the case since 2022, however the precise felony investigation was opened initially of February.
“It’s suspected that the person dwelling in Lahti has collected cash in violation of the Cash Assortment Act. We have now interviewed the suspect, however the felony investigation continues to be at an early stage,” he mentioned.
Mr Reen confirmed that Mr Ekpa (the suspect) was launched Thursday evening, maybe as a result of the investigation was nonetheless ongoing.
He added that the police have additionally acquired many reviews of Mr Ekpa’s actions on social media and are investigating whether or not there are causes to suspect him of different offences.
The police mentioned they may launch extra details about the case as investigations go on.
The Nigerian authorities had requested the arrest of Mr Ekpa, who resides in Finland and in addition has citizenship within the European nation.
The Nigerian authorities accuses Mr Ekpa of utilizing social media to instigate violence within the South-east that has brought about the killing of many individuals and the destruction of properties.
Mr Ekpa, as a part of his on-line marketing campaign, had declared a sit-at-home within the South-east for the interval of the presidential elections, ostensibly to bar folks from taking part within the voting course of.
The earlier sit-at-home declared by the factional chief of the separatist group IPOB had been enforced by the armed wing of the group resulting in the lack of lives and properties.
READ ALSO: Simon Ekpa, pro-Biafra agitator, arrested in Finland
IPOB, an outlawed separatist group, needs a separate nation of Biafra for the Igbos of Southern Nigeria and is ready to make use of violence to attain its goals.
The group is, nevertheless, believed to be a fringe group that doesn’t benefit from the assist of a majority of the Igbos. Its total chief, who Mr Ekpa labored with, Nnamdi Kanu, is at present in detention in Nigeria the place he’s going through trial on prices of treason.
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