Simon Ekpa
-Special Report-
The Conviction of Simon Ekpa for Terrorism in Finland
In a landmark ruling delivered on September 1, 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish resident Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences.
Ekpa, a former Municipal Councillor in Lahti and self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), was found guilty of incitement to terrorism, dissemination of terrorist propaganda, and active participation in a terrorist organization.
The
court's decision followed a comprehensive investigation by the Finnish National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which began in late 2024. Authorities arrested
Ekpa on November 21, 2024, after months of monitoring his online broadcasts and
social media activity. Prosecutors argued that his digital platforms, particularly
his use of X (formerly Twitter), were instrumental in encouraging violence and
unrest in Nigeria’s South-East region.
Between
August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa allegedly used his significant online
following to incite criminal acts and promote separatist violence. The court
found that he had played a pivotal role in establishing armed groups under the
Biafran separatist movement, supplying them with weapons, explosives, and
ammunition through a network of contacts in Nigeria. His directives, including
the infamous “sit-at-home” orders, were linked to violent incidents such as the
killing of police officers in Imo State in 2024.
Ekpa’s
conviction also included charges of aggravated tax fraud and violations of the
Finnish Attorneys Act. During the trial, which spanned 12 sessions from May to
June 2025, the NBI froze his financial assets and those of his associates and
affiliated companies. Despite denying all charges, the court unanimously found
him guilty, citing his influential role in transforming the separatist movement
into a more organized and militant structure.
The
ruling marks the first major legal blow to Ekpa since his emergence as a
separatist figure in 2019. His activities have drawn condemnation from both
Nigerian authorities and the mainstream Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),
which has repeatedly disowned him and labeled him an infiltrator undermining their
non-violent struggle.
Although
the verdict is not yet final and may be appealed, the sentencing represents a
significant moment in the international legal response to transnational
terrorism and separatist agitation. As of now, Ekpa remains in custody, and
neither his legal team nor his faction of the Biafra movement has issued a
formal response to the court’s decision at this time.
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