A Finnish District Court has sentenced Biafran political activist Simon Ekpa to six years in prison over terrorism-related offences.
The court ruled that Ekpa had been involved with a terrorist organisation and had publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes. His actions were connected to efforts aimed at re-establishing an independent state in Nigeria’s Biafra region, which briefly declared independence in the late 1960s.
According to the verdict, Ekpa leveraged his significant social media following to escalate tensions in the Biafra region between August 2021 and November 2024. The court described him as an influential figure within a separatist movement that had organised armed groups seeking to achieve Biafra’s independence through violent means.
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The ruling further stated that Ekpa supplied these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition via his contacts in the region, while also urging his followers on the social media platform X to engage in criminal activities in Nigeria.
YLE.FI reported that Ekpa, a long-term resident of Lahti and former local councillor, committed these crimes in Finland, which provided the court with jurisdiction over the case. Ekpa, who was born in Biafra, moved to Finland in 2007 as an athlete and has denied all charges.
Earlier investigations led by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) resulted in the freezing of Ekpa’s assets, as well as those belonging to his associates and affiliated companies.
The district court delivered its ruling on Monday. It is not yet final and may be appealed to a higher court.
