By Jungle-Journalist.Com

The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Monday sentenced Biafra separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related crimes and aggravated tax fraud.

Ekpa, a Finland-based lawyer and self-styled disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, was accused of using his social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), to incite violence and enforce deadly sit-at-home orders across Nigeria’s South-East. Prosecutors told the court that between August 23, 2021 and November 18, 2024, the separatist leader actively participated in a terrorist organisation, publicly encouraged violent crimes, and helped procure arms and explosives for secessionist fighters.

He was arrested in Lahti, Finland, in November 2024 following a series of investigations by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). At his preparatory hearing in May 2025, prosecutors demanded a six-year jail term, which the court has now upheld.

Although Ekpa denied the terrorism charges, he admitted to minor tax offences. His group, the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), had even declared a two-day lockdown in the South-East to coincide with his court appearance earlier this year.

Delivering judgment on September 1, 2025, the District Court ruled that Ekpa’s activities went beyond free speech and amounted to direct support for terrorism. The judge held that his online broadcasts and instructions fuelled widespread bloodshed in Nigeria’s South-East, where hundreds of lives have been lost in attacks linked to separatist enforcement squads.

The verdict, however, is not final, as Ekpa still has the right to appeal to a higher court.

Nigeria Reacts

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government of Nigeria described the sentencing as “a major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror.”

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement, commended the Finnish authorities for bringing Ekpa to justice:

“This conviction is a victory for justice and a strong message that those who orchestrate terror against Nigerians, even from abroad, cannot escape the long arm of the law,” he said.

Background

Simon Ekpa, who took over the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) broadcasts after the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu in 2021, has long been accused of spearheading violent campaigns in Nigeria while living comfortably in Finland. His infamous sit-at-home orders brought economic paralysis to the South-East and left many dead or injured.

With his sentencing, attention now shifts to whether he will pursue an appeal and how the verdict may affect separatist activities in Nigeria.