Simon EkpaJudges rule ex-Lahti councillor used social media influence to promote armed separatist movement linked to Biafra agitation
The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish citizen and former municipal councillor, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple terrorism-related offences and other crimes. The unanimous verdict, delivered on Monday by a panel of three judges, followed a trial that lasted 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025.
Court documents obtained by BBC News Pidgin revealed that the 40-year-old politician from Lahti was convicted on charges 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 further ordered that he remain in custody.
According to the judgment, Ekpa attempted to advance the cause of Biafra independence through illegal means between August 2021 and November 2024. Judges stated that he deliberately exploited divisions within an existing separatist movement in Nigeria to position himself as a central figure. He was accused of using his social media presence, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), to galvanize supporters, incite violence, and push for secession.
The court findings disclosed that armed groups were established under the separatist movement and were classified as terrorist organisations. Evidence presented showed that Ekpa played a significant role in equipping these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his contact networks. In addition, he was said to have repeatedly encouraged his followers online to commit violent crimes in Nigeria, intensifying insecurity in the country’s southeastern region.
Ekpa, who served as a municipal councillor in Lahti before rising to prominence as a controversial pro-Biafra activist, denied all the charges leveled against him. Despite his defense, the court concluded that his influence was instrumental in transforming the separatist movement into a more organised structure capable of carrying out violent operations.
His arrest came in December 2024 after Finnish authorities linked him to acts of terrorism. He was held on probable cause, facing suspicion of inciting people publicly to commit crimes with terrorist intent. Investigations into his activities initially led to the arrest of four other men, but prosecutors later dropped charges against them due to insufficient evidence.
The case has drawn wide attention both in Finland and Nigeria, where Ekpa’s online broadcasts have long sparked sharp divisions. While some view him as a freedom fighter advocating for the rights of the Biafran people, others have strongly condemned his rhetoric and actions, accusing him of fueling violence and worsening insecurity.
The conviction marks a significant step by Finnish authorities in addressing the misuse of digital platforms to incite violence across borders. For Ekpa, once an elected politician in Lahti, the ruling represents a dramatic fall from political relevance to prison time for crimes tied to separatist violence thousands of kilometres away from Finland.
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