Finnish court sentences Biafran separatist Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism

BIAFRAN separatist agitator Simon Ekpa has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Finnish court after he was found guilty of terrorism-related offences and aggravated tax fraud by his local Päijät-Häme District Court.

Mr Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian municipal politician, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the Biafra Government in Exile has recently been calling for sit-at-homes every Monday across the southeast geo-political zone and his orders have been ruthlessly enforced. In November last year, he was arrested by Finish authorities for probable cause to incitement with terrorist intent.

Today, he was found guilty and sentenced as the court ruled that Mr Ekpa, from his base in Lahti, Finland, used social media platforms between August 2021 and November 2024 to incite violence in southeastern Nigeria. Also, the court found that he supported armed separatist groups with weapons, ammunition and explosives.

Mr Ekpa was also convicted of large-scale tax fraud linked to his personal finances. Prosecutors said his activities amounted to both direct and indirect participation in terrorism, a charge he denied during trial, although he admitted to a lesser tax offence.

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation arrested Mr Ekpa after sustained pressure from the Nigerian government, which has long accused him of masterminding unrest across the southeast through his calls for sit-at-home protests and violent campaigns. Mr Ekpa first moved to Finland in 2007 as an athlete before venturing into local politics, serving briefly as a councillor in Lahti.

This sentence, which can still be appealed, is being closely watched in both Finland and Nigeria. While Finnish prosecutors hailed it as a landmark ruling against online radicalisation and cross-border terrorism, reactions are expected to be sharply divided in Nigeria, where Mr Ekpa commands a loyal following among pro-Biafra sympathisers.