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Finnish court jails Simon Ekpa six years for terrorism offences

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The Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes and other offences, according to official court documents seen by BBC News Pidgin on Monday.

The 40-year-old former municipal politician from Lahti was convicted on multiple charges, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.

The court ordered that Ekpa remain in custody.

According to the judgment, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.

“He used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in it,” the court statement stated as reported by BBC News pidgin.

Ekpa denied all the charges against him.

The court also found that Ekpa was instrumental in founding and developing the separatist movement into a more organised structure, working alongside others.

It was revealed during the trial that armed groups were established under the movement, which the court classified as terrorist organisations.

“Ekpa equipped the groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his contact network. He also urged and enticed his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria,” the court said.

The trial was conducted over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, with a panel of three judges unanimously delivering the verdict.

Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in December 2024 on charges linked to terrorism.

He was held on probable cause and suspicion of publicly inciting people to commit crimes with terrorist intent.

The alleged offences were said to have occurred between August 23, 2021, and November 2024, primarily in the city of Lahti.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation also initially arrested four other men in connection with the case. However, charges against them were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Ekpa, who previously served as a municipal councillor in Lahti, is widely known for his controversial role in the Biafran separatist movement.

His online broadcasts and social media activity have drawn both support and condemnation within and outside Nigeria.

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Crime

Police arrest murder suspect, others in Delta communities, recover ammunition

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Operatives of the Delta State Police Command attached to Agbor Division have arrested a key suspect involved in the abduction and murder of a commercial motorcyclist in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area.

This was contained in a signed statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Thursday.

The statement noted, “On October 7, 2025, a report of a missing person was received at the Agbor Division, indicating that a man identified as Friday Orumgbe, male, aged 53, of Idumu Oza, Agbor, Ika South LGA., who left home on 6th October 2025 with his Lifan motorcycle, failed to return.

“Acting on the report, the DPO Agbor Division, CSP Michael Obekpa, immediately ordered a discreet investigation into the disappearance. Following a sustained intelligence-led effort, on 16th October 2025, police operatives arrested one Musa Buhari, male, aged 25, of Alihagu Village, Agbor, and recovered the victim’s phone, a Tecno T101 handset, from him.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed that he and one Manu Usman (now at large) had boarded the victim’s motorcycle under the pretence of being passengers, but lured him into a bush along Power Line near Oki, Agbor, where they attacked him with a hoe, rendering him unconscious before stealing his motorcycle and phone.

“Acting on the confession, on 17th October 2025 at about 8:05 a.m., the DPO Agbor Division led operatives and the suspect to the crime scene where the decomposed corpse of the victim was recovered. The remains were identified by family members and deposited at the Central Hospital Mortuary, Agbor, for autopsy.”

Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody and the investigation is ongoing, the police spokesman stated.

In another development, a patrol team of the ‘B’ Division, Warri, has nabbed a suspected cultist/armed robbery syndicate and recovered from the gangster one locally made cut-to-size double-barreled gun, one live cartridge, and one expended cartridge.

The PPRO disclosed that on October 19, 2025, the Divisional Police Officer ‘A’ Division, Warri, CSP Ya’u Kangiwa, acting on the directive to strengthen visibility policing in volatile areas, deployed his operatives to intensify night patrols within the Ubeji community, following a recent resurgence of cult-related clashes.

“At about 3:00 a.m., a patrol team of ‘B’ Division Warri sighted a gold-coloured Lexus 350 SUV, with registration number KWL359DS (ABUJA), parked suspiciously with two occupants on board.

“The officers promptly approached the vehicle and identified the occupants as Christian Agbajor Akpos, male, aged 33, and Sophia Thomas, female, aged 26.

“When interrogated, the occupants could not provide a satisfactory account of their movement at such odd hours. Their suspicious conduct prompted a meticulous search of the vehicle, leading to the recovery of one locally made cut-to-size double-barrel gun, one battle axe, one live cartridge, and one expended cartridge.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the male suspect, Christian Agbajor Akpos, is a member of the Maphite Confraternity and the Neo-Black Movement (NBM). He further confessed that the firearm found in his possession was given to him by one Mr Shimaye (surname unknown), identified as the Deputy Chairman of the Ubeji community. Both suspects are in custody while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate and recover more arms.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, has commended the officers “for their professionalism and swift response in apprehending the suspects.”

The police boss reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to the fight against crime and criminality in all forms, stressing that “The Command will continue to intensify intelligence-led operations and community-based policing to ensure the safety of lives and property across the State.”

PUNCH Online reports that the Delta State Police Command has reported a string of significant operational successes in recent times.
For example, in August 2025, the Command announced the arrest of 211 suspects and the recovery of ₦8.5 million ransom money, along with 18 firearms and over 350 rounds of ammunition.

More recently, in October 2025, the Command intercepted 400 rounds of ammunition at Asaba Bridge Head and arrested a suspect during operations aimed at intercepting illegal arms transfers in the region.

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Crime

Police detain officer for firing at moving car in Delta

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A police officer who was filmed shooting at the tyre of a moving vehicle in front of Toscana Hotel along Okpanam Road, Asaba, Delta State, has been identified and detained by the authorities.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday night, sparked outrage after the video surfaced on social media. The video showed the officer firing towards the car as it attempted to drive off.

The act has been widely condemned as reckless and a violation of the rules of engagement on firearm usage in public spaces.

Reacting to the incident in a post on X on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, described the officer’s conduct as “embarrassing, shameful, careless, unprofessional, and unjustified.”

Edafe wrote, “In all honesty, this is embarrassing, shameful, careless, so unprofessional and not justified at all. The Policeman has been identified, detained and will appear before the CP today.”

No casualty was reported as of the time of filing this report.

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Crime

Hit-and-run driver kills Lagos director days before retirement

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A director with the Lagos State Government, Serifat Talabi, died four days before her retirement from civil service and at her 60th birthday party.

That the woman was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver on Saturday.

Our correspondent gathered that the incident happened when Talabi was crossing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near the Redemption Camp in Ogun State.

A source in the state civil service, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised, told our correspondent on Tuesday that Talabi was the Director of Procurement at the Lagos State Resident Registration Agency.

“She was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while trying to cross the expressway around the Redemption Camp. Efforts were made to take her to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead,” the source disclosed.

Another source in the agency disclosed that Talabi was supposed to retire on Monday, October 13, but the retirement event was postponed to Wednesday, October 22, to allow the agency’s General Manager to attend.

The source added that she had printed a card inviting her co-workers, relatives, and friends to the event, which also marked her birthday.

“She was supposed to retire on October 13, but because the General Manager was not around, she then shifted the date to October 22 so he could attend. Invitations had already been printed and sent to colleagues, friends, and family before the unfortunate incident.”

An invitation card sighted by PUNCH Metro indicated that the event was billed to hold at the NERDC Conference Centre, NERDC Road, Ikeja, adjacent to the Fela Shrine.

Meanwhile, The Eagle Online reports that Talabi’s burial arrangements have been announced by her family.

According to information gleaned from a WhatsApp group by the news platform, the wake will be held on October 23, 2025, with the burial service scheduled for October 24, 2025.

Both events will take place at 10, Ore-Ofe Street, Ara Hall Bus Stop, Ibafo, Ogun State.

The spokesperson for LASSRA, Basirat Lawal, did not respond to calls made to her telephone line on Tuesday. A text message sent to her had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.

Similar efforts to reach the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, were futile as she did not pick up calls made to her telephone line. She had yet to reply to a text message sent to her as of the time of filing this report.

Talabi’s death adds to the growing list of pedestrians killed by hit-and-run drivers along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and other major highways linking Lagos and Ogun states.

PUNCH Metro reported in August that a motorcyclist and his passenger lost their lives along the Ago-Iwoye/Ilisan Expressway in the Ijebu area of Ogun State after a truck rammed into their motorcycle from behind and fled the scene.

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