HELSINKI, Finland (BN24) — A court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a prominent Nigerian-Finnish secessionist activist, to six years in prison after convicting him of terrorism-related offences and aggravated tax fraud.
The Päijät-Häme District Court ruled that Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, used illegal means to support the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria. The court found that between August 2021 and November 2024, he facilitated the operations of armed groups by supplying weapons and explosives through a network of contacts.
Ekpa, a former local councillor in Lahti, denied all charges. His legal team has not confirmed whether he will appeal the verdict.
In a unanimous ruling delivered by a three-judge panel, the court found that Ekpa also incited violence in Nigeria through his use of social media platforms, encouraging members of the public to commit crimes in the name of Biafran independence. The court documents, shared with BBC News Pidgin by his lawyer, detailed his alleged role in coordinating and financing violence from abroad.
Ekpa has been a vocal figure within the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) movement, a group banned in Nigeria and classified as a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government. Though Ipob was founded in 2012 as a peaceful movement, it launched an armed wing in 2020, claiming to protect the Igbo ethnic group from persecution.
Critics argue that the group has instead contributed to worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s southeast, with violent attacks on civilians, police, and government infrastructure. The Nigerian military has blamed Ipob and its affiliates for dozens of deadly incidents in recent years.
Ekpa’s arrest in Finland in February 2023 followed rising pressure from the Nigerian government, which called for his extradition to face charges related to terrorism, violent extremism, and incitement. In March 2024, Nigerian authorities included Ekpa on a list of 97 wanted individuals linked to secessionist violence.
Ekpa came under international scrutiny in 2022 after a BBC investigation identified him as one of Ipob’s so-called “media warriors” — individuals allegedly using social media to call for violence and rebellion against the Nigerian state. Ekpa did not respond to the BBC’s requests for comment at the time.
The origins of the Biafran secessionist movement trace back to the Nigerian Civil War of 1967–1970, when Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, an Igbo military officer, declared the independent Republic of Biafra following widespread killings of southeasterners in northern Nigeria. The war resulted in over a million deaths due to fighting, famine, and a lack of medical care.
Today’s secessionist calls echo those of the past, though they have taken on a new dimension through online activism and the diaspora’s involvement. Ekpa’s conviction marks one of the most high-profile cases of foreign-based activists facing legal consequences for alleged involvement in violence in Nigeria.
It remains unclear whether Finnish authorities will cooperate with further Nigerian demands, including possible asset seizures or additional legal actions. For now, Simon Ekpa will serve his sentence in Finland.
Credit: BBC
