Simon Ekpa, a 40 year old Nigerian-born Finnish citizen, has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for terrorism-related crimes.
The charges include:
• Participation in Terrorist Activities: Ekpa was found guilty of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization.
• Incitement to Commit Crimes: He was also convicted of inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.
• Aggravated Tax Fraud: Ekpa was found guilty of aggravated tax fraud.
• Violations of the Lawyers Act: Additionally, he was convicted of violating the Lawyers Act.
The court ordered that Ekpa remain in custody. According to the judgment, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.
Simon Ekpa declared a 5 days sit – at – home civil disobedience campaign in December 2022 in south eastern of Nigeria and in 2023 declared himself the leader (prime minister) of Biafra Republic Government in exile.
He also stated that General elections would not be held in Biafra region in 2023 inciting protests on the imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu.
November 2024 saw Simon Ekpa being detained in Finland by Finnish national Bureau of investigation (NBI) accusing him of terrorist activities in Nigeria.
