In a landmark legal decision that has reverberated from Europe to Africa, a district court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes. The self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Government in Exile was arrested in November 2024 after an investigation by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Ekpa's conviction stems from a charge of "public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent" and his alleged role in inciting terrorism and promoting violence in southeastern Nigeria through his social media activities from August 2021 to November 2024. The Nigerian Federal Government has commended the Finnish court's ruling, calling it a "watershed moment" that reinforces the diplomatic ties between the two nations and sends a clear message to extremists.
This sentencing is a culmination of a long-standing diplomatic effort by the Nigerian government to address the violence and instability in the country's southeast, which authorities have linked to Ekpa's online campaigns. It also marks a significant development in the ongoing saga of the Biafran separatist movement, as a major figure in the agitation is held accountable by an international court.