A District Court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Government in Exile, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences.
Ekpa, who has been a controversial figure in Nigeria’s South-East, was arrested on 21 November 2024 by Finnish authorities following a lengthy investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The probe centred on allegations that he used social media platforms to incite terrorism and promote violence, activities believed to have fuelled unrest across parts of south-eastern Nigeria.
The Päijät-Häme District Court found him guilty of “public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent”, with the offences spanning from August 2021 to November 2024.
In the course of the investigation, the NBI froze Ekpa’s assets alongside those of his close associates and companies linked to him.
Authorities said the move was necessary to disrupt the financial network that allegedly supported his activities.
Ekpa, who describes himself as the Prime Minister of the IPOB Government in Exile, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
However, Nigerian authorities have long accused him of being behind violent enforcement of sit-at-home orders in the South-East, which have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, and significant economic disruption.
The Finnish court’s ruling marks a major development in the international dimension of Nigeria’s security challenges, especially regarding separatist movements and their use of digital platforms to drive campaigns of violence from abroad.
