A Finnish court has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a prominent Biafran separatist leader, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes.
Ekpa, who resides in Finland and previously served as a local councilor in Lahti, was found guilty of participating in a terrorist organization, publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violating the Lawyers Act.
According to the Päijät-Häme District Court, Ekpa used his significant social media following to stoke tensions in the Biafra region between August 2021 and November 2024, and supplied armed groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his network of contacts.
He also encouraged his followers on social media platform X to commit crimes in Nigeria.
The court ruled that Ekpa’s actions were aimed at re-establishing an independent state in the Biafra region, and that he was an influential member of a Biafran separatist movement that established armed groups to achieve this goal by force.
Ekpa had denied all charges, but the court’s verdict can still be appealed to a higher court.
