The Päijät-Häme district court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a prominent Biafra agitator, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes.
The judgment, delivered on Monday, found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorism and actively participating in the operations of a terrorist group.
According to Finnish daily Yle, the court highlighted how Ekpa used his vast social media reach to heighten tensions in Nigeria’s southeast between August 2021 and November 2024.
Weapons supply and online propaganda
The three-member panel of judges unanimously ruled that Ekpa was a key figure in a militant separatist movement pushing for Biafra’s independence.
They also noted that he supplied weapons, explosives, and ammunition to groups through a network of contacts in Nigeria.
In addition, the Finland-based lawyer was found to have repeatedly urged his followers on social media platform X to carry out criminal acts in Nigeria.
Other convictions
Beyond terrorism charges, the court also convicted Ekpa of aggravated tax fraud and breaching the Attorneys Act.
This development adds to a series of legal troubles that have trailed his activities in Finland and Nigeria.
It also comes months after Nigeria’s federal government officially designated him as a “terrorism financier” in March 2025.
Ekpa had described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
After Kanu’s arrest in Kenya and extradition to Nigeria in June 2021, Ekpa briefly took over as lead broadcaster for Radio Biafra.
However, his refusal to sign the station’s rules of engagement led IPOB to dismiss him, a move that pushed him to form a splinter group.
From dismissal to imprisonment
Following his break from IPOB, Ekpa frequently issued “sit-at-home” orders in Nigeria’s southeast and encouraged violent attacks against security agencies.
IPOB leadership on many occasions distanced itself from his actions, insisting his directives did not represent the group.
Finnish authorities eventually arrested Ekpa in November 2024, charging him with spreading terrorist propaganda before securing Monday’s conviction.
