Remanded leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Simon Ekpa, is being held at the Kylmäkoski vankila (Kylmäkoski prison), one of the world’s toughest prisons.
The high-security prison is in Vanhamaantie, Akaa, Finland.
The Finnish government had announced the arrest of Ekpa alongside four others on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing.
The Finnish police confirmed that Ekpa, who described himself as the Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, allegedly used social media to promote violence in the South-East region, targeting civilians and authorities.
According to local publication Yle, Ekpa was remanded in custody by the Päijät-Häme District Court on charges of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the Finnish government had frozen Ekpa’s assets, as well as those of companies associated with him and four of his accomplices, who are also in remand.
Yle, in a report, stated that Ekpa is being held in the Kylmäkoski vankila.
The Head of International Communications of Yle, Mika Ojamies, in response to enquiries from our correspondent, also confirmed that the suspect was in the prison.
The Kylmäkoski vankila was built in 1993 for male prisoners.
The facility, which is known for accommodating people who have committed serious crimes, including violent suspects and sex offenders, is the largest closed-unit facility in Finland.
The prison currently houses 113 prisoners, mostly convicts and remand inmates.
The Kylmäkoski vankila was featured in a 2023 Netflix documentary series, Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons.
A journalist, Raphael Rowe, entered the wards and interacted with some of the inmates, including the most dangerous criminals in Finland.
Among the inmates interviewed were Toni, Olli, Michael, Danny, and Jani, who had histories of violence and crime.
Two of the inmates, Toni and Olli, were notorious for their brutal actions, and did not show remorse for their crimes during the conversation with Rowe.
Another inmate, identified as Antti, told the reporter about the ‘lizard wing,’ a section created for dangerous inmates, particularly sex offenders and informants.
The inmates warned that in prison, people mind their business—but not when it comes to sexual offenders.
“If you’re some sexual offenders, or something… paedophile, you get knocked the f**k out,” Jani stated.
In the documentary, one inmate was moved to a different wing after punching a new prisoner who had snitched on him years earlier.
Some prisoners recounted their violent acts, including one who shot his brother’s killer in the head, an 18-year-old boy who stabbed a man in the neck, and another inmate who ran over a person with a car before shooting the person with a bow.
Culled from Saturday Punch
