The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Monday sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish politician and separatist agitator Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes and other offences.
According to court documents cited by BBC News Pidgin, Ekpa, 40, was convicted on multiple counts, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.
The court also ordered him to remain in custody.
The judgment revealed that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa used social media platforms to promote the independence of the Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through unlawful means.
“He used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of confusion within a separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in it,” the court statement noted.
The court further ruled that Ekpa was instrumental in transforming the separatist group into a more structured organisation, with armed factions established under its umbrella.
Judges found that he facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives, and ammunition through a network of contacts while also urging his followers online to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Despite pleading not guilty, the three-member panel of judges unanimously convicted him after a trial that lasted 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025.
Ekpa was first arrested by Finnish authorities in December 2024 on suspicion of inciting terrorism-related crimes. Although four other men were initially detained alongside him, charges against them were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
A former municipal councillor in Lahti, Ekpa has been a controversial figure due to his vocal involvement in the Biafran separatist movement, often drawing both strong support and criticism with his online broadcasts and activism.
