A Finnish court has handed a six-year prison term to Simon Ekpa, a controversial leader linked to a Nigerian secessionist movement, on terrorism-related charges. The verdict was delivered by the Päijät-Häme District Court in a unanimous ruling.

What is alleged against him

• Convictions: Ekpa was found guilty of terrorism-related offences and aggravated tax fraud. He was also deemed to have equipped armed groups with weapons and explosives through his network.
• Timeline of illegal activity: The court ruled that Ekpa engaged in illegal activities between August 2021 and November 2024 and used social media to incite crime in Nigeria.
• Self-stated leadership: Ekpa, who previously served as a councillor in Lahti, Finland, had claimed to lead a faction within the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Ekpa denied the charges during the trial.

Background: Why This Matters

• Regional instability: Parts of south-eastern Nigeria have long been troubled by clashes between IPOB and security forces.
• Ipob’s role: Ipob is banned in Nigeria. Its leadership, including Nnamdi Kanu, faces terrorism charges in Nigeria. Ipob originated as a peaceful movement in 2012 but later established an armed wing in 2020, a development critics say has exacerbated violence and suffering.
• Nigerian government’s stance: Nigeria had sought Ekpa’s extradition to face justice domestically. In March of the previous year, the Nigerian army named Ekpa and 96 others as wanted for terrorism, violent extremism, and secessionist threats.

What’s Next?

• It remains unclear whether Ekpa will appeal the Finnish verdict.
• The case highlights ongoing tensions around the Biafra movement, which seeks an independent homeland for the south-eastern region and parts of the Niger Delta.

• The secessionist drive traces back to the 1960s when Igbo leader Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu proclaimed Biafra, which made the Nigerian government fight them, triggering a brutal three-year war that caused more than 3  million deaths of Igbos.
• Today, Biafra’s supporters advocate for independence, while opponents warn of the country’s unity and the dangers of violence.