Pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa has been released on Thursday, after he was arrested by Finnish police the same day.
Before his arrest and release, Ekpa, a self-acclaimed disciple of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, ordered South-East residents to observe a sit-at-home repeatedly, asking them to boycott Saturdayโs polls.
Sources revealed that the order by Ekpa had been marked by bloodshed and destruction of lives and property in the region by its enforcers.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, a Finland news outlet, that the police escorted the separatist out of his apartment in Lahti. It also claimed that its team went to Ekpaโs residence for an interview, but surprisingly, the Finnish police, KRP, answered when it rang the separatistโs bell.
Although, the HS revealed that the KRP prevented their team from entering Ekpaโs apartment, noting that the interview would be moved โto the future.โ
Contacted, an official of the Finnish Embassy in Abuja who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed Ekpaโs arrest to The PUNCH on Thursday.
โIt is our understanding that he is currently in police custody in Finland,โ the official who is not authorised to speak to the press told The PUNCH.
โAccording 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 policeโ, the official volunteered.
However, Ekpa was released the same day after hours of grilling by the police.
The police claimed that its operation in Lahti and the subsequent arrest of the pro-Biafra agitator were in connection with an ongoing preliminary investigation.
โThe person being questioned today (Thursday) is suspected of a crime. We will return to the title on Friday,โ Tommi Reen from the Central Criminal Police told HS during a phone interview.
It was gathered that Ekpaโs arrest followed relentless pressure mounted by the Federal Government and Igbo leaders on the Finland government over his inciting comments and sit-at-home orders to South-East residents.
Before his arrest on Thursday, many Nigerians from across the world signed a petition appealing to the Finnish government, Nigerian Government and the European Union to arrest Ekpa. .
The Igbo community in Finland in January decried what it termed Ekpaโs โseditious statementsโ from Lahti in Finland, urging the Finnish authorities to restrain the separatist.
In a statement signed by one Kingsley Orji, the Igbo community called on both governments of Finland and Nigeria to commence an immediate investigation of Ekpa with a view to bringing him to justice.
The statement read in part, โThere is no place on the planet where people can simply hide, incite violence, and escape punishment. Therefore, the Igbo community in Finland is calling for action as follows:
โThat Simon Ekpa is immediately restrained, investigated, and made to face the full wrath of the law both in Finland and in Nigeria.โโ
