Inside Finland’s toughest prison where Simon Ekpa shares wing with killers, rapists

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.

 

In a different case, a 50-year-old prisoner stated that he had been convicted 11 times in Finland, six times in Sweden, twice in Denmark, and once in Norway, spending a total of 23 years in prison for various violent crimes, including two murders.

 

Power in the prison is often tied to the possession of drugs.

 

One prisoner confirmed that the man with the most drugs becomes the ‘king’ of the prison.

 

Most of the prisoners are heavily tattooed, with their massive, frames making them even more intimidating.

 

With their intimidating appearances and violent histories, the prisoners in Kylmakoski show no remorse for their crimes.

 

Most of the prisoners committed crimes while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, making them even more dangerous.

 

Around 90 per cent of new inmates arrive with drug problems.

Newcomers often smuggle in drugs, including subutex, cocaine and amphetamines, as well as cell phones. Subutex is a popular Finnish drug.

 

A prison officer confirmed the troubling trend in the video, noting that dealing with such violent, drug-affected prisoners was a major challenge for the prison system.

 

Prison issues

A first major problem with the prison is the persistent issue of drug smuggling, which has continued despite efforts to stop it.

 

Also, a female guard was sacked for having affairs with inmates. According to Yle, the officer was fired in May 2023 over an inappropriate “relationship with a number of male inmates.”

 

“In its dismissal notice, the prison argued that there were particularly compelling reasons for the officer’s dismissal, as information regarding her inappropriate behaviour was obtained from inmates as well as staff,” the report said.

 

Also, a prisoner was said to have tricked guards by using the personal information of another inmate that was due for release.

 

The incident prompted nationwide reforms on the release of inmates.

 

Finland closed prison

Unlike the open prisons in Finland where prisoners take vacation, go to work and own keys to their rooms, prisoners in closed prisons are restricted and denied freedom.

 

The cell doors are locked during the times determined in the daily schedule. When the ward is locked, prisoners must be in their cells or in other locations marked in the checklist of prisoners.

 

The times when the number of prisoners is checked are specified in the daily schedule. Prisoners are obligated to close and lock the cell doors when they leave their cells.

 

In the prison, a visitor and an inmate are not allowed to take notes or transmit written messages without the permission of the staff.

 

Also, the prisoner and a visitor may not touch each other during the visit.

 

“If a prisoner violates the terms of a meeting laid down in the prison rules, a disciplinary punishment may be imposed on the prisoner,” the Prison and Probation Service of Finland said.

 

Ekpa’s remand

Ekpa was remanded by the district court and is scheduled to face charges in May 2025.

 

A senior detective superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Mikko Laaksonen, had told Saturday PUNCH that Ekpa could not get bail due to the criminal procedure of the country.

 

“Our procedure is based on the case, remand or travel ban as coercive measures for limiting freedom of movement for persons suspected of offences to which such measures are applicable.”

 

A Finnish legal document obtained by Saturday PUNCH revealed that remand is not a punishment, but a coercive measure implemented during a criminal investigation and trial.

 

The document added that the purpose of remand imprisonment is to secure the criminal investigation, court proceedings, and enforcement of a sentence and to prevent the remanded person from continuing criminal activities.

 

“Remand imprisonment is ordered by a court that decides to remand a suspect of an offence. Remand imprisonment ends when a court, a prosecutor, or the police (or other official with the power of arrest) releases the remand prisoner.

 

“Remand imprisonment ends at the latest when the judgment of a district court becomes final. If the judgment of a district court is appealed, remand imprisonment continues until the judgment of a court of appeal is issued.

 

“However, if a remand prisoner is sentenced to imprisonment, the remand prisoner may consent to the enforcement and abide by the judgment as regards the sentenced imprisonment even before the judgment has become final. In that case, the sentenced person starts serving the imposed sentence of imprisonment and the person’s status changes from a remand prisoner to a prisoner,” it added.

 

In addition, remand prisoners cannot be placed in an outside institution or given permission for supervised activities outside prison.