Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian separatist figure, appeared in court on Friday, May 30, as Finland officially began his terrorism trial at the Päijät-Häme District Court.
Ekpa was arrested in November 2024 by Finnish authorities over allegations of terrorism-related offenses, including incitement to violence and financing terrorism. Prosecutors accuse him of using social media platforms to stir unrest and promote violence in Nigeria’s southeast, in connection with his push for the secession of Biafra.
According to state prosecutor Sampsa Hakala, Finnish officials are seeking a six-year prison sentence, arguing that Ekpa’s actions fall within the scope of terrorism under Finnish law. “We have a great deal of evidence regarding this individual’s online activity and communications,” Hakala stated.
Ekpa, who holds dual Finnish and Nigerian citizenship, has denied the allegations during police interrogations, including claims that he attempted to procure weapons for pro-Biafra groups.
A known affiliate of a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—a separatist movement calling for independence in southeastern Nigeria—Ekpa has long been an outspoken advocate for Biafra’s cause. The region was the center of a bloody civil war from 1967 to 1970. In Finland, he has also been active in local politics, previously serving on Lahti’s public transport committee as a representative of the conservative National Coalition Party.
