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The Finnish government has frozen the assets of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Biafran separatist leader, who is facing terrorism-related charges. Ekpa, along with four accomplices, has been detained for several weeks, and the government has also frozen assets linked to companies associated with him.
According to local newspaper Yle, Ekpa is currently being held in Kylmäkoski Prison, a high-security facility known as one of the toughest prisons in the world. Reports suggest that Ekpa may remain in detention through the Christmas and New Year period, as Finnish authorities have indicated that he will not be granted bail, according to Mikko Laaksonen, Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
Kylmäkoski Prison, located in Akaa, Finland, is renowned for housing prisoners who have committed serious offenses, including violent crimes and sexual offenses. The facility, which was built in 1993 for male prisoners, is the largest closed-unit prison in Finland, housing 113 inmates. Ekpa’s detention at this facility follows his arrest about four weeks ago, alongside four others, on charges related to terrorism, including inciting violence and financing terrorism.
The Finnish authorities allege that Ekpa used social media platforms to incite violence in Nigeria’s southeastern region, targeting both civilians and government officials. Ekpa, who calls himself the “Prime Minister” of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, faces charges of public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
The Kylmäkoski Prison was featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary series Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons, where journalist Raphael Rowe interviewed some of the most dangerous inmates, including those with violent criminal histories. The documentary highlighted issues such as drug smuggling and the challenges faced by the prison system in dealing with violent, drug-affected prisoners.
