Finland charges Nigerian separatist with inciting terrorism
Representative Image (AI-generated)
Finnish prosecutors on Friday said they had charged a man with inciting terrorism online who a media report identified as Nigerian separatist leader
Simon Ekpa
.
Finland's
National Prosecution Authority
said in a statement that it had charged "a Finnish individual in a case involving suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.
"
It added that the alleged crimes had been committed in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024 and were related to the suspect's efforts to establish Nigeria's Biafra region as an independent state.
The prosecution authority did not name the accused but Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified him as separatist leader Simon Ekpa.
Ekpa -- who claims to lead the Biafra Republic's government in exile -- was detained in November.
According to the prosecution authority, the accused remained in custody and denied the charges.
Ekpa is known as a self-proclaimed leader of a faction of the
Indigenous People of Biafra
(IPOB), which is pushing for the independence of Nigeria's southeast, where a bloody civil war was fought in the late 1960s.
The dual Finnish-Nigerian national has also been a local representative for Finland's conservative National Coalition Party in the city of Lahti, north of
Helsinki
, where he has served on a public transport committee.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Seniors Can Hear Whispers Again With These Amazing Hearing Aids
Prime Sound
Learn More
Undo
When Ekpa was arrested, Finnish authorities also requested that four other people be remanded in custody on suspicion of financing Ekpa's activities.
On Friday, the prosecution authority said the prosecutor had decided to drop charges against four others in the case due to a lack of evidence.
Ekpa has been the subject of several of AFP's fact checks in recent years over false claims and disinformation he has made in independence campaigning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Time of India
Goa raid uncovers drug cartel Hawala cash in washing machine
In a major breakthrough, the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) uncovered Rs 50 lakh hidden inside a washing machine in a Goa apartment while tracking the inter-state hawala money trail linked to international drug cartels. TGANB director Sandeep Shandilya, said the money, collected over just two days, was moments away from being laundered to Nigeria. "Had we delayed the raid by an hour, the entire amount would have been transferred. It was neatly stashed inside the washing machine, ready for dispatch," he said. Following a month-long surveillance operation in Goa, TGANB --- assisted by Goa police --- zeroed in on hawala transactions being conducted from Sangeetha Mobile Shop in Mapusa and an apartment in Goa's Highland Park. Over 2 crore of drug proceeds laundered The key accused, Uttam Singh, who runs the mobile shop, was arrested. Investigators revealed he had laundered Rs 2.1 crore of drug proceeds in just one week. Live Events "Drug money collected in cash was handed over to Uttam, often by foreign nationals. He then moved the funds to Mumbai through informal channels, and from there, it was transferred to Nigeria," Shandilya explained. The investigation into the hawala trail started after Nigerian national Emmanuel Bediako, alias Maxwell, revealed it to TGANB. Between May 26 and June 1, officials tracked 58 hawala transactions involving Rs 2.1 crore. A few days after establishing this link, a raid on Highland Park apartment led to the recovery of Rs 50 lakh in cash. Over the past month, four Nigerian nationals have been arrested during TGANB operations in Goa. Authorities believe Uttam is one of several hawala operators facilitating cross-border drug money transfers. Police officials suspect a wider network of hawala operators is active, working hand-in-glove with international narcotics cartels. (With TOI inputs)
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Telangana anti-drugs agency finds cartel's hawala cash in washing machine in Goa
The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) uncovered a major hawala operation linked to an international drug cartel, seizing nearly ₹50 lakh in cash hidden inside a washing machine in a Goa apartment. The money was reportedly moments away from being transferred to Nigeria. TGANB director Sandeep Shandilya said the cash, collected over just two days, was recovered during a raid conducted after a month-long surveillance operation in coordination with the Goa police. 'Had we delayed the raid by an hour, the entire amount would have been transferred. It was neatly stashed inside the washing machine, ready for dispatch,' ToI quoted Shandilya as saying. According to the report, the raid was carried out at an apartment in Highland Park and at Sangeetha Mobile Shop in Mapusa. The main accused, Uttam Singh, who ran the mobile shop, was arrested. The probe agency said that Singh laundered ₹2.1 crore of drug money within a week. His modus operandi involved receiving cash from foreign nationals, routing it through informal channels to Mumbai, and then facilitating its transfer to Nigeria. The ₹49.65 lakh seized during the raid is believed to be part of a larger money laundering network and a TGANB team is being sent to Delhi for further investigation. The hawala network came to light after the arrest of Nigerian national Emmanuel Bediako alias Maxwell, from Hyderabad earlier this week, reported news agency PTI. The 34-year-old was found in possession of 150 grams of cocaine and ecstasy pills worth ₹1.25 crore. According to a TGANB statement cited by news agency PTI, Bediako had made three visits to India since 2013, operating primarily out of Goa and selling various drugs including high-purity "celebrity cocaine," regular cocaine, and MDMA. TGANB officials believe the drugs were sourced from abroad and the profits routed to Nigeria via a sophisticated laundering network involving Indian hawala operators and the Nigerian drug cartel.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Drug cartel's hawala cash trail ends in washing machine in Goa flat, Rs 50L seized
Hyderabad: In a major breakthrough, Telangana Anti Narcotics Bureau's (TGANB) investigation to trace the inter-state hawala cash trail of international drug cartels ended in a washing machine in a Goa flat, from which it seized Rs 50 lakh a few days ago. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now TGANB director Sandeep Shandilya, said the money, collected over just two days, was moments away from being laundered to Nigeria. "Had we delayed the raid by an hour, the entire amount would have been transferred. It was neatly stashed inside the washing machine, ready for dispatch," he said. Following a month-long surveillance operation in Goa, TGANB --- assisted by Goa police --- zeroed in on hawala transactions being conducted from Sangeetha Mobile Shop in Mapusa and an apartment in Goa's Highland Park. The key accused, Uttam Singh, who runs the mobile shop, was arrested. Investigators revealed he had laundered Rs 2.1 crore of drug proceeds in just one week. "Drug money collected in cash was handed over to Uttam, often by foreign nationals. He then moved the funds to Mumbai through informal channels, and from there, it was transferred to Nigeria," Shandilya explained. The investigation into the hawala trail started after Nigerian national Emmanuel Bediako, alias Maxwell, revealed it to TGANB. Between May 26 and June 1, officials tracked 58 hawala transactions involving Rs 2.1 crore. A few days after establishing this link, a raid on Highland Park apartment led to the recovery of Rs 50 lakh in cash. Over the past month, four Nigerian nationals have been arrested during TGANB operations in Goa. Crime branch in Goa also seized narcotics worth Rs 1.6 crore, including ecstasy and cocaine, from them. Authorities believe Uttam is one of several hawala operators facilitating cross-border drug money transfers. Police suspect a wider network of hawala operators is active, working hand-in-glove with international narcotics cartels.
