Simon Ekpa arrested by Finnish Police - ITREALMS

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The factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) known as AutoPilot, Mr. Simon Ekpa, has finally been arrested at his home in Lahti area of Finland, reports ITREALMS.

Ekpa’s arrest took place on Thursday, February 23, at his apartment near Lahti market.

A Nigerian resident in Finland in a video heralding the arrest commended Finnish government for at least stepping up action on this notorious sponsor of terrorism in South Eastern part of Nigeria, largely occupied by ethnic Ndigbo.

ITREALMS gathered that the intention of a local media outlet, Helsingin Sanomat (HS) was to do an interview, but the crew witnessed when the police escorted the Nigerian separatist, Simon Ekpa, out of his apartment in Lahti on Thursday morning. KRP prevented HS from entering Ekpa's apartment and said that the interview would be moved "to the future".

ITREALMS also gathered that Helsingin Sanomat (HS), had earlier scheduled an interview with Simon Ekpa for 10:30am but could not have access to him until about 11:30am, obviously because the Finnish Police raided his apartment for the arrest.

Part of the HS encounter read:

“HS also reported that the Lahta-based separatist Simon Ekpa does not answer the doorbell. It's almost 11:30 on Thursday.

“We had agreed on an interview at Ekpa's apartment near Lahti market. As late as 10:06, Ekpa had published a tweet to his almost 70,000 followers.

"We the people of Biafra will fight to the end this time," the last message read.

HS also quoted the Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper from Lahte as having on Thursday reported that Ekpa "does not hide the fact that he is participating in the elimination of government officials. He even leads the operation and acquires weapons”.

Ekpa publicly claims to have replaced Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu after he was arrested. He also claims to command IPOB's armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

But the tangle is complicated. Some of those claiming to be members of IPOB or ESN accuse Ekpa of lying and misusing Kanu's name.

The purpose is to demand that Ekpa explain what his separatism and opposition to the elections is all about.

We are late. Ekpa's neighbor soon opens the door to the stairs. That's where the journey ends.

A police officer from the Central Criminal Police is waiting in Crabu.