The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish politician, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes and other offences.
According to official court documents seen by BBC News Pidgin on Monday, Ekpa, 40, was found guilty of multiple charges, including: Participation in the activities of a terrorist organization, Incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, Aggravated tax fraud, Violations of the Lawyers Act
The court ordered that Ekpa remain in custody following the ruling.
The judgment stated that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.
“He used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in it,” the court said.
Investigations revealed that Ekpa helped develop the separatist movement into a more structured organisation and worked with others to establish armed groups, which the court classified as terrorist organisations.
The ruling further noted that Ekpa equipped the groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his contact network, while also using X (formerly Twitter) to incite followers to commit violent crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa was arrested in December 2024 by Finnish authorities on suspicion of terrorism-related offences.
His trial, which ran over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, ended with a unanimous verdict by a panel of three judges.
While four other men were initially arrested in connection with the case, charges against them were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Ekpa, who once served as a municipal councillor in Lahti, has been a controversial figure due to his online broadcasts and outspoken support for the Biafran separatist movement.
Although he denied all charges, the Finnish court ruled that his actions amounted to terrorism-related offences, making him one of the most prominent diaspora figures convicted in connection with the Biafra struggle.
