
Simon Ekpa Release From Finnish Police Custody, Still A Doubt
Factional leader agitating for the declaration of Biafra Republic, Simon Ekpa is yet to produce live video broadcast hours after Finnish news media claimed he has been released by the Finland Police authority.
Simon Ekpa has been arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning by Finland Security Operatives over crime yet to be officially stated.
Helsingin Sanomat, HS, one of the largest Finnish news media had reported hours after Simon Ekpa was arrested that, the Finnish authority has released the Biafra agitator after hours of questioning.
Hours after the news publication, Simon Ekpa has not issued any live video broadcast but an old prerecorded video broadcast was seen on his Twitter page doctored in a manner to create false impression that he has been released.
Simon Ekpa had called for a sit-at-home in Southeast geopolitical region of Nigeria during the upcoming general elections, threatening to engage men of the Nigerian Army.
The Nigerian government had promoted sanctions against him from his host country Finland.
The Helsingin Sanomat (largest newspaper in the Nordic countries) reported that the the police escorted the separatist out of his apartment in Lahti.
Hours later, Helsingin Sanomat reported that the Finland-based Biafra agitator had been released by the Finnish police after hours of questioning.
Although Tommi Reen, an officer from the Central Criminal Police, did not state the identity of the suspect in custody, he confirmed the raid on Ekpa’s apartment to HS.
Reen, however, said the suspect was released after a few hours of questioning, adding that investigation is ongoing.
The HS News Media earlier said that they had gone to Ekpa’s residence for an interview but to their surprise, the Finland police, KRP, answered when the HS team rang the separatist bell.
The HS said the KRP prevented their team from entering Ekpa’s apartment and said that the interview would be moved “to the future”.
“It is our understanding that he is currently in police custody in Finland,” the official who is not authorised to speak to the press was quoted to have said.
“According to information available to us, the image is verified by Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper; in it, Ekpa is seen being escorted out of his home in Lahti by plainclothes Finnish police”, the official said.
Before his eventual arrest on Thursday, several Nigerians all over the world had signed a petition appealing to the Finnish government, Nigerian Government and the European Union to arrest Ekpa, the brain behind the bloodiest sit-at-home order in the South-East.
His arrest followed Ekpa’s intensified attempts to compel people in the southeast to boycott the forth coming general elections scheduled for February 25.
HELSINGI SONOMA news revealed that an interview was scheduled with Ekpa at his apartment near Lahti market on Thursday, but when they got there, they met the Police.
Sources later disclosed that Ekpa was arrested at the Finland Airport while trying to flee the country to Israel.
Simeon Ekpa has been fingered as being the arrow-head of several killings by “Unknown Gunmen,” a dangerous secessionist armed gang responsible for the deaths of several people including public officials in the Southeastern states of Nigeria.
A fugitive and acclaimed disciple of the IPOB leader, rose to prominence in July 2021 after he was announced as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra.
Domiciled in Finland, Simeon Ekpa was appointed to act in place of the leader of IPOB following the re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu by the government few years ago.
Few months later, IPOB announced Ekpa’s disengagement citing his refusal to sign and abide by the Rules of Engagement of Radio Biafra.Ekpa was picked up from his apartment in Lahti Region of Finals by operatives from the Finish Central Police early hours of Thursday morning.