Finland court set date for Simon Ekpa appearance as Ipob promoter change lawyer
Simon Ekpa wey be promoter of di proscribed group Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (Ipob) wey land for Finland prison don get date wey im go appear for court.
Remember say dem gbab Ekpa for Finland for November 2024, ontop claim of probable cause and on suspicion of publicly inciting pipo to commit crime wit terrorist intent.
Im na leader of di secessionist group wey e call di Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), wey be breakaway faction of Ipob.
Local tori pipo for Finland report say di District Court of Päijät-Häme send Ekpa go prison for 2024.
Since dat time, di Lahti municipal politician don dey chill behind bars and tori about am don go silent.
Meanwhile, as Ekpa still dey prison Nigeria goment list am among di 17 individuals wey dey di Nigeria Sanction List and freeze dia accounts sake of alleged activities wey surround issues of terrorism.
Di committee immediately freeze accounts, assets and oda economic resources wey belong to Simon Ekpa wit oda 16 individuals and groups wey dey di Sanction List.
Meanwhile, report tok say part of why dem gbab Ekpa na say e dey allegedly spread separatist propaganda on social media.
For January 2025, Nigeria President Bola Tinubu bin hail Finland goment for di arrest and detention of Simon Ekpa and warn say im goment ''no go tolerate actions and statement wey go cause division among kontri pipo''.
Dat na di first time wey di Nigerian leader dey address Ekpa case since im chop arrest last year on charges of alleged terrorist activities for Finland.
Also, Nigerian goment dey hope say di Finland goment go extradite Simon Ekpa.
Reacting to Ekpa arrest last year, Tukur Gusau, di tok-tok pesin for di Nigeria Defence, tok say "di Chief of Defence Staff dey happy wit Ekpa arrest for Finland, wit di hope say dis go be a step towards im extradition to Nigeria so e go fit face justice".
Change of lawyer - wetin dey happun ontop Ekpa case
For December 2024, BBC Pidgin send message give Simon Ekpa lawyer wey dey represent am for di case, Ilkka Kopra, to ask am wetin dey happun ontop di case and how long Ekpa go dey prison.
Di lawyer reply say "na di decision of di Finnish court of law to put Ekpa for prison".
E add say dem dey do evritin within dia power to see say Ekpa dey free but dem no sabi how long e go stay for prison.
BBC Pidgin do anoda follow up message to know wetin be Ekpa reaction to di report say Nigerian goment don freeze im assets.
Na dat time we receive say Ekpa don change im lawyer becos say di one wey dey represent am bifor don retire. And e hand ova di case to a new lawyer.
Wen Simon Ekpa go appear for court
Plenti rumour and reports dey fly upandan for social media say Simon Ekpa go appear for court in May. Some even claim say di court trial no go happun as di Ipob promoter still dey prison.
We reach out to Ekpa new lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, to get how di mata dey go and wen dem go carry Ekpa go court for trial.
Di lawyer confam say im don receive di pre-trial file of di case and dem go check through to know wetin to do.
However, wen we ask am wem Simon Ekpa go appear for court, e say di case dey go court for June 2025.
E neva clear weda Finland go extradite Simon Ekpa come Nigeria or not.
Ekpa na member of di National Coalition Party (NCP) for Finland wia e dey represent dem for Public Transport Board for di Lahti region wia e dey live
But im party don tok say di name of Simon Ekpa no follow for di candidates list for di next county and municipal elections wey dey happun for April 2025.
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