Latest news with #SimonEkpa
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Finland court give date for hearing of Simon Ekpa case
Di Päijät-Häme District Court for Finland don set date to begin di hearing of criminal case against a former municipal politician from Lahti wey dey identified as Simon Ekpa. Dis na afta di Office of the Prosecutor General for Finland bin confam to BBC Pidgin say dem charge di suspect (Ekpa) wit 'public incitement to commit a crime wit terrorist intent'. Di district court for Finland tell BBC Pidgin say di defendant (Ekpa) dey for detention and hearing for im case go start for end of May 2025. Dis na according to Ulla Ristola wey be di District Secretary for di District Court of Päijät-Häme. According to di District Court of Päijät-Häme for dia document wey BBC Pidgin get, di hearing go last several days and di prosecutors applications for summons, and di defendant written response go dey public for 30 May 2025 "Päijät-Häme District Court go begin hearing a criminal case concerning terrorist crimes, on 30 May 2025. Di defendant for di case na former municipal politician from Lahti, wey currently dey pretrial detention." Di District Court say di defendant dey "charged wit public incitement to commit a crime wit terrorist intent, participation for di activities of a terrorist group, aggravated tax fraud and violation of di provisions of di Attorneys Act." Päijät-Häme District Court through di district secretary say di trial go begin wit a preparatory session on 30 May 2025. "Di main hearing go den begin on di same day, and dey expected to last several days. Di trial go dey at least largely public." BBC Pidgin gada say na panel of three judges go hear and decide di case. Di charges against Simon Ekpa Finnish Deputy Prosecutor General bin charge promoter of di Indigenous People of Biafra Simon Ekpa wit inciting terrorism online. Di Finland National Prosecution Authority say Ekpa allegedly commit di offence for Lahti between 2021 and 2024. Di Office of the Prosecutor General for Finland also add say dem dey suspect aggravated tax fraud join di charges. "Di charges dey related to di suspect activities wey dey aimed at establishing di so-called Biafra region of Nigeria as an independent state," Finland Office of the Prosecutor General tok. "Di Deputy Prosecutor General don file charges against a Finnish individual for a case wey involve suspected public incitement to commit a crime wit terrorist intent and participation for terrorist group." "Di alleged acts dey committed for Lahti between 2021 and 2024, along wit related alternative charges and suspected aggravated tax fraud." Also, Mikko Laaksonen wey be di Senior Detective Superintendent of Finland National Bureau of Investigation tell BBC Pidgin say di charges filed against Ekpa include contribution to activities of terrorist group. "Prosecution don file charges against Simon Ekpa wit contributing to di activities of a terrorist group and public exhortation to an offence wit terrorist intent." According to di National Prosecuting Authority, dem say di charged individual (Ekpa) dey for custody and "e don deny say im commit di crime." We don reach out to Simon Ekpa lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus to get im side of di tori wey we receive from di Finland authority and how dem dey react to am. More tori on Simon Ekpa dey here:
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
What next for Simon Ekpa as Finnish authorities charge am wit terrorism?
Finnish prosecutors don charge promoter of di Indigenous People of Biafra Simon Ekpa wit inciting terrorism online. For one statement by Finland National Prosecution Authority, dem announce say dem charge "one Finnish individual for a case wey involve suspected public incitement to commit crimes wit terrorist intent and participation for di activities of terrorist group". Di statement say Ekpa allegedly commit di offence for Lahti between 2021 and 2024. Dem say di offence dey related to di suspect effort to establish Biafra region as independent state. Di prosecution authority no mention di suspect name but di Finnish public broadcaster YLE identify am as Simon Ekpa. We dey update dis tori
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
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.
Arab News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern Nigeria
ABUJA: At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked travelers on a major highway in the southeastern part of Nigeria, rights group Amnesty International said. The rights group said more than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze during the Thursday attack along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo state. Police confirmed the attack but not the death toll. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police suspect the Eastern Security Network, the paramilitary wing of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra. The secessionist campaign in southeastern Nigeria dates back to when the short-lived Republic of Biafra fought and lost a civil war from 1967 to 1970 to become independent from the West African country. An estimated 1 million people died in the conflict, many from starvation. The rights group said 'international law requires the Nigerian government to promptly investigate unlawful killings with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.' One suspect connected to the attack was killed in a joint operation by law enforcement agencies, police spokesperson Okoye Henry said in a statement. 'An intensive manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice,' Henry said. Two of the group's prominent leaders, Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa, are in custody in Nigeria and Finland, respectively. Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Nigerian government said Friday it has not begun extradition proceedings but is in talks with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held accountable for his alleged actions. For many years Nigeria — Africa's most populous nation with at least 210 million people — has been wracked by violence related to the activities of armed extremist groups.
Associated Press
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Amnesty International says at least 30 dead in separatist attack in southeastern Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 30 people have been killed after gunmen attacked travelers on a major highway in the southeastern part of Nigeria, rights group Amnesty International said. The rights group said Friday that more than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze during the Thursday attack along the Okigwe-Owerri highway in Imo state. Police confirmed the attack but not the death toll. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police suspect the Eastern Security Network, the paramilitary wing of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra. The secessionist campaign in southeastern Nigeria dates back to when the short-lived Republic of Biafra fought and lost a civil war from 1967 to 1970 to become independent from the West African country. An estimated 1 million people died in the conflict, many from starvation. The rights group said 'international law requires the Nigerian government to promptly investigate unlawful killings with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.' One suspect connected to the attack was killed in a joint operation by law enforcement agencies, police spokesperson Okoye Henry said in a statement. 'An intensive manhunt is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice,' Henry said. Two of the group's prominent leaders, Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa, are in custody in Nigeria and Finland, respectively. Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Nigerian government said Friday it has not begun extradition proceedings but is in talks with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held accountable for his alleged actions. For many years Nigeria — Africa's most populous nation with at least 210 million people — has been wracked by violence related to the activities of armed extremist groups.
