BREAKING: FINNISH COURT SENTENCES SIMON EKPA TO SIX YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR TERRORISM OFFENCES

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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA

The Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday sentenced Simon Ekpa, a Finnish national born in Nigeria, to six years of incarceration for terrorism-related offenses and various additional crimes, as per official court documents reviewed by the media on Monday.

The 40-year-old former local politician from Lahti was found guilty on numerous counts, including engagement in the operations of a terrorist organization, incitement to perpetrate crimes with terrorist intent, aggravated tax evasion, and transgressions of the Lawyers Act.

The court mandated that Ekpa be retained in custody.

According to the ruling, from August 2021 to November 2024, Ekpa endeavored to advocate for the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through unlawful methods.

“He utilized social media to secure a politically significant position and exploited the turmoil within a prominent separatist movement in Nigeria to assume a pivotal role in it,” the court’s statement indicated, as reported by the media.

Ekpa refuted all allegations against him.

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The court also determined that Ekpa played a crucial role in establishing and enhancing the separatist movement into a more structured organization, collaborating with others.

“Ekpa supplied the groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition via his network of contacts. He further encouraged and incited his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to engage in criminal activities in Nigeria,” the court remarked.

The trial was conducted over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, with a panel of three judges delivering a unanimous verdict.

Finnish authorities apprehended Ekpa in December 2024 on charges related to terrorism.

He was detained on probable cause and suspicion of publicly instigating individuals to commit crimes with terrorist aims.

The alleged crimes were reported to have taken place between August 23, 2021, and November 2024, primarily in the city of Lahti.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation also initially detained four other men in connection with the case; however, the charges against them were subsequently dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Ekpa, who formerly served as a municipal councillor in Lahti, is widely recognized for his contentious involvement in the Biafran separatist movement.

His online broadcasts and social media activities have elicited both support and criticism within Nigeria and beyond.