The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland sentenced Nigerian-born politician Simon Ekpa to six years in prison on September 1, 2025, for terrorism-related offenses and other charges.
Court documents revealed that Ekpa was found guilty of participating in a terrorist group, inciting the public to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violating the Lawyers Act.
Ekpa, 40, is a former Lahti municipal politician and was ordered to remain in custody following the ruling. Between August 2021 and November 2024, he promoted the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal activities, according to the court.
The court stated that Ekpa used social media to gain political influence and exploited confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to assume a significant role.
On August 31, 2025, the court found Ekpa instrumental in organizing the separatist movement into a structured group, under which armed factions classified as terrorist organizations were formed.
He was found to have supplied these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition, and to have encouraged followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria.
The trial lasted from May 30 to June 25, 2025, with 12 days of hearings and a unanimous verdict by a three-judge panel.
Ekpa denied all charges. He was arrested in December 2024 after Finnish authorities accused him of spreading separatist propaganda and inciting violence via social media.
Charges against four other suspects linked to terrorism allegations were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
