Simon Ekpa, the factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by Finnish police on Thursday.
It was previously reported that Ekpa was apprehended by Finnish authorities at his apartment in Lahti.
However, after several hours of questioning, the Finnish police released Ekpa.
He was allegedly arrested for a suspected crime in Finland.
According to HS, the Finnish Central Criminal Police confirmed Ekpa’s release on Thursday.
The police claimed that their operation in Lahti, as well as the subsequent arrest of the pro-Biafra agitator, were related to an ongoing preliminary investigation.
Meanwhile, Ekpa allegedly began a live broadcast on his Twitter handle @simon ekpa hours after his arrest.
The broadcast sparked speculation about whether he had been detained by Finnish authorities.
Thousands of Twitter users connected and commented on it.
Daily Trust verified the broadcast and discovered that it had been pre-recorded, as had the accompanying tweets.
Further investigation by Daily Trust revealed that, while the scroll messages from the broadcast indicated that it was recorded on 22 February 2022, the caption on the broadcast read, “BIAFRA: Simon Ekpa is here to finish what he started 23.2.2023 Live and Direct.”
Conclusion: Daily Trust verification confirmed that Mr Ekpa’s viral video was pre-recorded.
This Fact Check was created in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
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