The Päijät-Häme district court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a prominent pro-Biafra agitator, to six years in prison for terrorism offenses.
In a unanimous ruling delivered on Monday, a three-member panel of judges found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The court determined that Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to escalate tensions in Nigeria’s southeast between August 2021 and November 2024.
According to the Finnish newspaper Yle, the court also identified Ekpa as an influential member of a militant separatist movement aiming to create a Biafran state. The ruling noted that Ekpa supplied groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition “through his network of contacts in the region.” He was also found to have encouraged his followers on social media platform X to commit crimes in Nigeria.
In addition to the terrorism charges, Ekpa was convicted of aggravated tax fraud and violating the Attorneys Act.
Background
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was appointed as the lead broadcaster for Radio Biafra after Kanu was extradited to Nigeria in June 2021.
Weeks later, however, Ekpa was dismissed by IPOB for refusing to sign the group’s rules of engagement. This led to a rift between Ekpa and IPOB, with Ekpa subsequently forming a splinter secessionist group.
Using his social media platforms, particularly X, Ekpa began issuing “sit-at-home” directives across Nigeria’s southeast, often calling for attacks on security forces. IPOB has repeatedly disassociated itself from his activities.
In November 2024, Ekpa was arrested by Finnish law enforcement and sent to prison by the district court for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.” In March 2025, the Nigerian federal government also designated Ekpa a “terrorism financier.”
