Finnish authorities have frozen the assets of Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed Biafran activist accused of terrorism-related offenses and detained for several weeks.
A local newspaper Yle noted that Simon Ekpa is currently detained in Kylmäkoski Prison, known as one of the toughest prisons globally.
It previously revealed that Ekpa is likely to remain in detention over the Christmas and New Year holidays, as confirmed by Finnish authorities.
Mikko Laaksonen, Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, stated that the country’s legal system does not allow bail.
According to Finnish authorities, they allege that Ekpa used social media to incite violence in Nigeria’s South-East region, targeting both civilians and government officials.
As reported by local media outlet Yle, Ekpa is being held on charges of public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
The prison housing Simon Ekpa is known to be Finland’s largest closed-unit facility, known for accommodating individuals convicted of serious crimes, including violent offenders and sex criminals.
Currently, the Kylmäkoski Prison holds 113 inmates, consisting of both convicts and remand detainees.
The facility was featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary series Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons.
Journalist Raphael Rowe explored the prison, interacting with inmates, including some of Finland’s most dangerous criminals.
The inmates interviewed included Toni, Olli, Michael, Danny, and Jani, all of whom had backgrounds in violence and crime.
Toni and Olli, in particular, were infamous for their ruthless actions and expressed no remorse for their crimes during their discussion with Rowe.
New inmates frequently smuggle drugs such as Subutex, cocaine, and amphetamines, along with cell phones, into the prison. Subutex is particularly popular in Finland.
In the documentary, a prison officer acknowledged this concerning trend, emphasizing that managing violent, drug-influenced prisoners presents significant challenges for the prison system.
