Finnish Police on Thursday released Simon Njoku Ekpa, the violent leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Autopilot group whose gunmen have been enforcing the Sit-at-home and the election boycott.
Hours earlier, Finnish authorities had arrested Ekpa and escorted him out of his apartment in Lahti.
The Finnish Central Criminal Police confirmed Ekpa’s release on Thursday, said a report by Helsingin Sanomat (HS), a Finnish newspaper.
The Police claimed that its operation in Lahti and the subsequent arrest of the pro-Biafra agitator were in connection with the ongoing preliminary investigation.
“The person being questioned today is suspected of a crime. We will return to the title on Friday,” Tommi Reen from the Central Criminal Police told HS during a phone interview.
Ekpa, who have already declared another sit-at-home beginning from Thursday February 23, 2023, enforces his proclamations through the “Unknown Gunmen” who have been unleashing violence in the South East region of Nigeria which have been bedeviled with killings and kidnapping for ransom.
According to Jussi Ala-Lahti, Advisor of the Finnish Embassy, Abuja, “the image (Picture of Ekpa) is verified by Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper. In the picture, Ekpa is seen being escorted out of his home in Lathi by Finnish Police officers in plainclothes.”
He added that the arrest may be linked to the ongoing cooperation between Finland and Nigeria on the activities of Ekpa.
The Abuja Finnish embassy Advisor said: “Finland and Nigeria have discussed the situation, and Finnish and Nigerian authorities are cooperating on the matter. The Embassy cannot however, comment in public on the content of the cooperation.”
Ekpa has threatened that any person in the South Eastern part of Nigeria that tries to participate or vote in the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled to hold on Saturday February 25 will be ruthlessly dealt with.
The ‘Unknown Gunmen’ is a dangerous armed militia responsible for the deaths of several people and even public officials in the South-East.
Ekpa, a self-acclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader, rose to prominence in July 2021 after he was announced as the lead broadcaster of Radio Biafra.
The Finland-based activist was appointed to replace Kanu following the re-arrest of the IPOB leader by the federal government.
After some weeks, IPOB announced Ekpa’s disengagement, citing his refusal to sign the rules of engagement of Radio Biafra. Since then, he formed the Autopilot faction who controls the major armed wing and IPOB activities in the South East.