LAHTI-BASED separatist Simon Ekpa does not respond to the door buzzer. It’s almost 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.
We had arranged an interview at Ekpa’s apartment near the Lahti market square. As recently as 10:06 a.m., Ekpa had posted a tweet to his nearly 70,000 followers.
“We biafra people will fight to the end this time,” the last post read.
Simon Ekpa and his motive
Ekpa is pushing for the independence of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria by any means necessary. He is inciting people on social media to boycott Saturday’s presidential election.
The Lahti-based Southern Finland Newspapers reported on Thursday that Ekpa “makes no secret of the fact that he would not participate in the elimination of government personnel. He even leads the action and acquires weapons”.
EKPA publicly claims to have stood in place for Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist movement , after he was arrested. He also claims to be in charge of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed wing of the IPOB.
But the skein is complex. Some of those claiming to be members of the IPOB or ESN accuse Ekpa of lying and misusing Kanu’s name.
The intention is to require Ekpa to explain what his separatism and opposition to elections are all about.
WE ARE late. Ekpa’s neighbor will soon open the door to the crab. That’s where the journey breaks down.
In the crab, the police from the National Bureau of Investigation are waiting.
“The interview will be postponed indefinitely,” he says.
When asked whether it is because the interrogations take a long time or because it is not possible to meet the person we are aiming for after them, the police answer that “both and”.
“The KRP does its job here,” he says.
A cameraman who was at HS’s scene later testified when police officers in civilian uniforms led Simon Ekpa out of the apartment.
The Arrest
DETECTIVE SUPERINTENDENT Tommi Reen of the National Bureau of Investigation confirms to HS over the phone that the KRP had a police operation in a private residence in the centre of Lahti on Thursday in connection with an ongoing pre-trial investigation. Police apprehended one man from the apartment. The KRP suspects the arrested man of a crime, but does not comment at this point on the criminal title.
Reen did not confirm the man’s identity, but only spoke in general terms about the operation in an apartment in the center of Lahti. He did not comment further.
NIGERIA has asked Finland to intervene in Ekpa’s activities. Last week, the Nigerian Foreign Minister invited The Finnish Ambassador Leena Pylvänäinen to a meeting on the topic.
Jussi Nummelin, team leader for West and Central Africa at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, told HS a week ago on Thursday that Finland shares concerns about security and condemns violence and incitement to it, as well as “actions aimed at preventing people from exercising their democratic rights”.
Nummelin stressed, however, that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is not the actual party in the case, but the police have jurisdiction in the event of a suspected crime.
(hs.fi)
