Finnish Court Sentences Simon Ekpa To 6 Years In Prison For Terrorism And Tax Fraud

Finnish-Nigerian Simon Ekpa has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for inciting terrorism, participating in the activities of a terrorist group, and aggravated tax fraud.

In a ruling delivered on Monday, the three-member panel of judges said Ekpa exploited his “significant social media following” to stoke violence and unrest in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024.

A report by a Finnish local news platform says the court described him as an influential figure in a militant separatist movement seeking to establish an independent Biafran state.

The judges further found that Ekpa supplied militant groups with “weapons, explosives, and ammunition” through his network of contacts, while also encouraging his online followers on X to commit crimes in Nigeria.

A long-term resident of Lahti and former local councillor, Ekpa, was prosecuted in Finland because the court determined that the offences were carried out from Finnish territory. He denied all charges throughout the proceedings.

In addition to the terrorism-related offences, the court convicted him of aggravated tax fraud. The verdict is not yet final, as Ekpa has the right to appeal to a higher court.

It will be recalled that the National Prosecution Authority of Finland had earlier confirmed that Ekpa, who claims to be the Prime Minister of the self-styled “Biafra Republic Government in Exile”, was facing charges stemming from his online activities between 2021 and 2024, which prosecutors said encouraged violent acts in Nigeria under the guise of pro-Biafra advocacy.

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