The Nigerian government has welcomed the six-year prison sentence handed down by a Finnish court to Simon Ekpa, a self-styled pro-Biafra agitator, describing it as a watershed moment for justice and bilateral ties with Finland.
On Monday, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti, Finland, convicted the 40-year-old Nigerian-born Finnish politician of terrorism-related crimes and other serious offences. The charges included participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent, aggravated tax fraud, and breaches of the Lawyers Act.
Finland’s three-judge panel, sitting over 12 sessions between May and June 2025, ruled unanimously that Ekpa exploited social media platforms to incite violence in Nigeria, fuel separatist unrest, and provide armed groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition. The court also heard how he used his political influence to steer a fractured separatist movement into a more organised and violent structure, urging followers to commit crimes back in Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the ruling “is not only justice for the countless Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods have been torn apart by the violence Ekpa inspired, but also a strong boost to Nigeria–Finland cooperation in confronting extremism.”
Court records show that the offences were committed between August 2021 and November 2024, largely in Lahti, before Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in December 2024. He was held on suspicion of incitement to terrorism and placed in custody throughout the trial.
Although Ekpa denied all charges, the court found his role central in promoting Biafra’s secessionist cause through unlawful means. Finnish investigators initially arrested four other suspects linked to the case, but charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Ekpa, once a municipal councillor in Lahti, rose to prominence through controversial online broadcasts, which attracted both fervent supporters and strong condemnation across Nigeria and the diaspora.
The court ordered him to remain in custody to serve his sentence.
