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A Finnish court has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s secessionist movement, to six years in prison after convicting him of terrorism-related offences. The ruling comes amid long-standing tensions in southeastern Nigeria, where the movement for an independent Biafra has fueled conflict for decades.
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent, leads the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group has been linked by Nigerian authorities to numerous violent incidents, including kidnappings and killings, in the country’s southeast. Ekpa, who relocated to Finland in 2007 as an athlete and later served as a local councillor in Lahti, was accused of using his platform to further the Biafra separatist cause through unlawful means.
The panel of three judges delivered a unanimous ruling on Monday, finding Ekpa guilty of equipping armed factions in the Biafra region with weapons and explosives via his network of contacts. The court also determined that he had used his influential social media presence to incite unrest and inflame hostilities between August 2021 and November 2024.
The judges ruled that his actions, though orchestrated from Finland, had significant implications in Nigeria, granting the court jurisdiction over the matter. In addition to the terrorism charges, Ekpa was convicted of aggravated tax fraud.
The Biafra region, located in southeastern Nigeria, briefly declared independence in the late 1960s, sparking a civil war that lasted three years. The conflict resulted in the deaths of over one million people, largely from fighting, starvation, and inadequate medical care. Calls for a Biafra state have resurfaced in recent years, with separatist movements often clashing with Nigerian authorities.
Ekpa has denied all the charges brought against him and has not yet announced whether he intends to appeal the verdict to a higher court. His sentencing highlights ongoing international legal efforts to address transnational elements of violent separatist movements.