FINLAND: The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish politician and separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences and other crimes.
According to court documents cited by BBC News Pidgin on Monday, the 40-year-old former municipal councillor from Lahti was found guilty of participating in terrorist activities, inciting crimes with terrorist intent, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act. The court ordered that he remain in custody.
Between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa allegedly pushed for the independence of the Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means, leveraging social media to gain influence within the separatist movement.
The judges ruled that he played a central role in transforming the movement into an organised structure, establishing armed groups later classified as terrorist organisations.
Court findings revealed that Ekpa equipped these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition, while also urging his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa denied all charges. However, the unanimous verdict came after 12 trial sessions held between May and June 2025.
He was initially arrested by Finnish authorities in December 2024 on terrorism-related suspicions. Four other suspects arrested in connection with the case were later freed due to lack of evidence.
Ekpa, widely known for his controversial role in the Biafran struggle, remains a divisive figure whose online broadcasts continue to spark both support and condemnation at home and abroad.
