Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa appeared before the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Friday, May 30, as Finnish authorities officially opened his terrorism trial.
Ekpa, a dual citizen of Nigeria and Finland, was arrested in November 2024 on suspicion of terror-related offenses, including incitement to violence and financing terrorism. Finnish prosecutors allege that Ekpa used social media platforms to incite unrest and promote violence in Nigeria’s South-East region as part of his push for Biafran independence.
Prosecutors are seeking a six-year prison sentence, arguing that his actions may qualify as terrorism under Finnish law. “We have a great deal of evidence regarding this individual’s online activity and communications,” said state prosecutor Sampsa Hakala.
Ekpa, during questioning, denied allegations of supplying weapons to pro-Biafra groups and refuted other charges brought against him.
He is closely associated with a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria—a region still marked by the legacy of the 1967–1970 Biafran Civil War. In Finland, Ekpa has also been active in politics, previously serving on the public transport committee in Lahti as a representative of the National Coalition Party.
