Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born separatist leader based in Finland, has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Finnish court for a string of serious offences, including terrorism, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act. The verdict, delivered on September 1, 2025, by the Päijät-Häme District Court, marks a dramatic turn in the saga of the Biafra independence movement and underscores the far-reaching impact of diaspora activism on Nigeria’s troubled southeastern region.
According to BBC News and the Associated Press, Ekpa, a Finnish citizen and former municipal politician in Lahti, was found guilty of participating in the activities of a terrorist group, public incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, and equipping armed groups in Nigeria with weapons and explosives through an extensive network of contacts. The court’s unanimous ruling, handed down by a panel of three judges, also cited his use of social media to gain political influence and incite violence within Nigeria’s restive southeast.
Ekpa’s conviction comes after a months-long investigation and his arrest at his home in Finland in February 2023. The court determined that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa orchestrated a campaign to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region “by illegal means,” exploiting confusion and division within the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the banned secessionist group he came to lead. As the court stated, “He used social media to gain a politically influential position and exploited the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to take on a significant role.”
The Nigerian government has long accused Ekpa of being the mastermind behind the notorious “sit-at-home” protests that have paralyzed everyday life in southeastern Nigeria since 2021. According to a count by SBM Intelligence, these enforced shutdowns—mandated every Monday in response to the arrest of IPOB’s founder Nnamdi Kanu—have led to at least 700 deaths and cost the Nigerian economy a staggering 7.6 trillion naira (approximately $4.79 billion). The protests have been marked by violence, abductions, and attacks on security forces, which authorities say were orchestrated through IPOB’s paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Ekpa’s legal troubles began to mount after the Nigerian military, in March 2024, declared him and 96 others wanted for terrorism, violent extremism, and secessionist threats. The government sought his extradition from Finland, arguing that he incited the public to attack and kill security officials and used the ESN to unleash terror on residents of the region. Though extradition proceedings are ongoing, the Finnish court’s decision to keep Ekpa in custody underscores the severity of the charges against him.
For many Nigerians, especially those in the southeast, the saga of Simon Ekpa is a painful reminder of the country’s tumultuous history with Biafra. The original Biafran secession attempt in the late 1960s, led by Igbo army officer Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, plunged Nigeria into a brutal civil war that lasted from 1967 to 1970 and claimed more than a million lives through fighting, starvation, and disease. IPOB, founded in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu as a peaceful movement, later launched the ESN in 2020, claiming it was necessary to defend the Igbo ethnic group. Critics, however, argue that the group’s actions have only fueled instability and suffering in the region.
Ekpa’s rise to prominence within IPOB followed the arrest of Kanu by Interpol in Kenya in 2021 and his subsequent extradition to Nigeria, where he remains on trial for terrorism. Ekpa, described by the BBC as one of IPOB’s “media warriors,” leveraged social media platforms to call for violence and assert control over the movement. His leadership style, marked by fiery rhetoric and uncompromising demands for independence, deepened divisions within IPOB and drew international scrutiny.
The Finnish court’s ruling found that Ekpa’s activities extended beyond mere rhetoric. He was convicted of supplying weapons and explosives to separatist groups, a charge that highlights the transnational dimension of modern insurgencies. “He equipped the groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his contact network,” the court noted—a finding echoed by multiple outlets, including AP and Devdiscourse. The court also found him guilty of aggravated tax fraud and violating legal ethics, further complicating his legal predicament.
Ekpa’s supporters maintain that his actions were motivated by a legitimate desire for self-determination and justice for the Igbo people, who have long complained of marginalization and state neglect. Yet the toll of his campaign—measured in lost lives, economic devastation, and deepening mistrust between communities—has prompted many to question the costs of such activism. As the BBC reported, IPOB’s critics say the group’s armed wing has “unleashed violence that has caused huge suffering.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has sought to address some of the grievances fueling unrest in the southeast. Over 10 trillion naira has been allocated for national infrastructure projects, with the North-West receiving the largest share (5.97 trillion naira), followed by the South-South (2.41 trillion naira), North-Central (1.13 trillion naira), South-West (604 billion naira), South-East (407 billion naira), and North-East (400 billion naira). Whether these investments will translate into greater stability and prosperity remains an open question.
The conviction of Simon Ekpa is likely to have far-reaching implications for the Biafra movement and for diaspora activists worldwide. It sends a clear message that incitement to violence, even from abroad, will not be tolerated by either Nigerian or European authorities. At the same time, it raises difficult questions about free speech, political dissent, and the limits of transnational justice in an age of digital mobilization.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with the legacy of Biafra and the challenges of nation-building, the story of Simon Ekpa stands as a cautionary tale about the power—and peril—of political activism in a connected world.
