Finnish Court Sentences Simon Ekpa to Six Years for Terrorism, Fraud

Finnish Court Sentences Simon Ekpa to Six Years for Terrorism, Fraud

On Monday, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian origin, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offenses and other criminal charges, according to court documents reviewed by BBC News Pidgin.

Ekpa, 40, a former municipal councillor from Lahti, was found guilty on several counts, including involvement in a terrorist organization, incitement to commit terrorist acts, aggravated tax fraud, and breaches of the Lawyers Act. The court ordered that he remain in custody.

The judgment revealed that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa sought to advance the independence of the Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through unlawful methods. “He leveraged social media to gain political influence and exploited internal divisions within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to assume a prominent role,” the court stated, as reported by BBC News Pidgin.

Ekpa denied all allegations during the proceedings.

The court further concluded that Ekpa played a pivotal role in establishing and structuring the separatist movement into a more organized entity, collaborating with others. Evidence presented during the trial indicated that armed factions were formed under the movement, which the court designated as terrorist organizations. “Ekpa supplied these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition via his network of contacts. He also incited his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria,” the court noted.

The trial spanned 12 sessions from May 30 to June 25, 2025, with a panel of three judges unanimously delivering the verdict.

Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in December 2024 on terrorism-related charges, including public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. The alleged offenses occurred primarily in Lahti between August 23, 2021, and November 2024.

Initially, four other individuals were detained in connection with the case by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, but charges against them were later dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Widely recognized for his controversial involvement in the Biafran separatist movement, Ekpa’s online broadcasts and social media presence have sparked both support and criticism across Nigeria and beyond.