Helsinki, Finland – The Paijat-Hame District Court in Finland has sentenced Finnish-Nigerian separatist leader, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related charges.
Ekpa, widely known as a close ally and mentee of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, was convicted for his role in inciting violence and supporting terrorist activities linked to the struggle for a breakaway Biafran state in southeastern Nigeria.
Court Ruling
According to Finnish media outlet Yle, the court held that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa leveraged his large social media following to incite crimes, stoke unrest, and encourage armed groups operating in Nigeria’s southeast.
The court further revealed that Ekpa facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives, and ammunition to separatist groups and repeatedly urged his followers on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to commit violent acts.
The verdict also included a conviction for aggravated tax fraud, though Ekpa denied all charges during the trial.
Background
Ekpa, who moved to Finland in 2007 as an athlete, later became a local councillor in the city of Lahti. He currently leads the ‘Autopilot’ faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a splinter group pushing for the restoration of Biafra, a short-lived republic that attempted to secede from Nigeria in the late 1960s.
The Finnish court asserted jurisdiction over the case since Ekpa coordinated his activities and incitements from Finland.
Reactions
The ruling is expected to be welcomed by the Nigerian government, which has long accused Ekpa of fueling violence and insecurity in the southeast.
President Bola Tinubu, while receiving the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Sanna Selin, at the State House in Abuja, had earlier praised Finland’s cooperation in addressing Ekpa’s activities.
Tinubu stressed that his administration will not condone actions or rhetoric capable of deepening divisions among Nigerians.
Next Steps
Although convicted, Ekpa retains the right to appeal the judgment to a higher court in Finland.
