Finnish Court Sentences Simon Ekpa to Six Years in Prison for Terrorism and Tax Fraud

Simon Ekpa pictured in court

The Päijät-Häme District Court has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a Biafran separatist figure and long-term resident of Finland, to six years in prison after convicting him on terrorism-related charges and aggravated tax fraud.

According to the court’s ruling, Ekpa was found guilty of participating in a terrorist organization and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes. The charges were linked to his alleged efforts to re-establish an independent state in Biafra, a region in southeastern Nigeria that briefly declared independence in the late 1960s.

Between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa reportedly used his large social media following to inflame tensions in the Biafra region. The verdict stated that he held a significant role in a Biafran separatist movement that organized and supported armed groups seeking independence through violent means.

The court also found that Ekpa had supplied weapons, explosives, and ammunition to these armed groups through his network of contacts. In addition, he was accused of encouraging followers on the social media platform X to commit crimes in Nigeria in support of separatist objectives.

A former Lahti city councillor and athlete, Ekpa carried out these activities from Finland, giving the Finnish court jurisdiction over the case. Despite the ruling, Ekpa denied all charges throughout the trial.

The district court also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud, further adding to the six-year prison sentence.

The ruling is not yet final and can be appealed to a higher court.

Biafra is a region in the southeast of Nigeria