The Päijät-Häme District Court has sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish citizen Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences and other crimes, according to court documents obtained by BBC News Pidgin.
Ekpa, 40, a former municipal politician from Lahti, 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 ordered that he remain in custody.
The judgment stated that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa sought to promote the independence of the 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 noted.
Prosecutors argued that Ekpa helped to establish and organise armed groups, which were classified as terrorist organisations. The court found he supplied weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his networks and encouraged his followers on social media to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa denied all charges during the proceedings.
The trial, which lasted 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, ended with a unanimous verdict delivered by a panel of three judges.
Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in December 2024 on suspicion of terrorism-related activity, including incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. Four other men initially arrested in connection with the case were later released due to insufficient evidence.
Ekpa, once a councillor in Lahti, is widely known for his controversial involvement in the Biafran separatist movement. His online broadcasts and social media activities have long sparked both support and criticism in Nigeria and abroad.
