Finnish Court Sentences Simon Ekpa to Six Years for Terrorism-Related Offences

The Päijät-Häme District Court has sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish politician, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences and other crimes, according to court documents obtained by BBC News Pidgin on Monday.

Ekpa, 40, a former municipal councillor in Lahti, was convicted on multiple counts, including participation in a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act. The court also ordered that he remain in custody.

Court records show that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa sought to advance the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through unlawful means.

“He used social media to gain political influence and exploited divisions within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to assume a central role in it,” the judgment stated, as quoted by BBC News Pidgin.

Although Ekpa denied all allegations, the court found he played a pivotal role in shaping the movement into a structured organisation. Evidence revealed that armed groups were formed under the movement, which the court classified as terrorist organisations.

According to the ruling, “Ekpa equipped the groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his contacts, while urging and inciting his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria.”

The trial, held over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, ended with a unanimous verdict from a three-judge panel.

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Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in December 2024 on terrorism charges after being suspected of inciting crimes with terrorist intent. The alleged offences spanned from August 23, 2021, to November 2024, largely in Lahti.

While four other men were initially arrested during the investigation, charges against them were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Widely known for his controversial involvement in the Biafran separatist movement, Ekpa’s social media activity and online broadcasts have long attracted both support and criticism within and outside Nigeria.