The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based Nigerian separatist leader, to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences. The ruling, delivered on September 1, 2025, found Ekpa guilty of promoting terrorist acts, financing violence, and inciting unrest in Nigeria’s southeast.
Background
Simon Ekpa, born in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, rose to prominence in 2019 as a vocal supporter of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Following Kanu’s arrest in 2021, Ekpa took charge of separatist broadcasts from Finland, issuing sit-at-home orders and inciting attacks against security forces.
The directives, enforced violently in the southeast, crippled businesses, disrupted supply chains, and inflicted an estimated N7.6 trillion loss on the region between 2021 and 2025, according to SBM Intelligence.
Trial and Conviction
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 following years of investigation into his online activities. Prosecutors accused him of “public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent” and “participation in a terrorist group.”
The court ruled that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa used his online platforms to instigate violence, provided weapons and funding to armed groups, and directed his followers to commit crimes. He was also convicted of aggravated tax fraud and professional misconduct as a lawyer.
Nigeria’s Reaction
The Federal Government welcomed the ruling as a “watershed moment” in the fight against terrorism.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the judgment vindicated Nigeria’s position on Ekpa’s role in sponsoring violence. “For years, his reckless incitement unleashed untold suffering. This conviction sends a strong signal to extremists that justice will prevail,” Idris said at a press briefing.
Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), also praised Finland for its cooperation and said Nigeria would “consider further legal steps, including possible repatriation.”
Possible Deportation
Ekpa, a dual Nigerian-Finnish citizen, now risks losing his Finnish nationality under the country’s Nationality Act, which allows revocation of citizenship for naturalised citizens convicted of terrorism. If stripped of his Finnish passport, he could be deported to Nigeria upon completion of his jail term.
Security experts suggest that deportation would open the door for Nigeria to prosecute him for his alleged role in the deaths, economic sabotage, and insecurity linked to IPOB’s activities in the southeast.
What Next?
Though Ekpa’s conviction is seen as a major victory against separatist violence, uncertainty remains over his future. If Finland strips him of citizenship and hands him over to Nigeria, he may face a second trial and possible imprisonment on home soil.
For the southeast, however, the ruling may mark the beginning of the end of years of crippling sit-at-home orders and violent disruptions that left scars on communities and economies alike.
