The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Nigerian-Finnish separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related offences, according to a report by the BBC.
Ekpa, a dual citizen of Nigeria and Finland, was convicted of inciting terrorism in Nigeria and promoting the independence of the Biafra region through unlawful means between 2021 and 2024.
The court also found him guilty of aggravated tax fraud and violations of the Lawyers Act.
Ekpa, who describes himself as the “prime minister of the Biafra Republic government in exile,” has been one of the most prominent voices advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria under the name Biafra.
Prosecutors accused him of coordinating separatist activities from Finland, particularly through online channels, which allegedly incited violence in Nigeria.
In May 2025, Ekpa’s terrorism trial commenced in Finland, with charges including public incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes and participation in a terrorist organisation.
Prosecutors demanded a six-year jail term, which the Finnish court has now upheld.
State prosecutor, Sampsa Hakala told the court that there was extensive evidence linking Ekpa’s online activities to incitement of violence in Nigeria.
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“We have a great deal of evidence regarding this individual’s online activity and communications,” Hakala said.
The charges stemmed from Ekpa’s active involvement in a faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in 2017.
IPOB has long campaigned for the creation of an independent Biafra state, which was at the centre of Nigeria’s devastating civil war from 1967 to 1970.
Finnish police arrested Ekpa in November 2024 after an investigation carried out in collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
He has remained in custody since then, consistently denying all allegations.
His lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, argued during the trial that evidence supplied by Nigerian sources was unreliable.
Finnish prosecutors also examined possible financial links to Ekpa’s activities.
Four individuals were investigated for allegedly funding his operations, but the charges against them were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
