The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafra campaigner, to six years in prison after he was found guilty of several terrorism-linked offences.
The ruling, delivered on Monday, concluded that Ekpa was involved in inciting terrorism and actively participating in the operations of a terrorist group between August 2021 and November 2024.
Finnish newspaper Yle reported that the court held Ekpa accountable for leveraging his “significant social media following” to intensify unrest in Nigeria’s southeast region.
A panel of three judges described him as “an influential member of a militant separatist movement whose goal was to actualise the carving out of a Biafra state from Nigeria.”
The judgment further revealed that Ekpa provided armed groups in the southeast with weapons, ammunition, and explosives “through his network of contacts” while also promoting violence through posts on the social media platform X.
Beyond the terrorism-related offences, the court also found him guilty of aggravated tax fraud and breaching Finland’s Attorneys Act.
As of the time of reporting, Ekpa’s legal team had yet to release an official statement on whether they intend to appeal the decision.
What you should know
Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born lawyer and activist based in Finland, rose to prominence for his pro-Biafra advocacy and controversial broadcasts targeting Nigeria’s government.
His sentencing marks one of the most significant international legal actions against a diaspora agitator linked to separatist violence in Nigeria.
