Simon Ekpa, a prominent pro-Biafra agitator and former Lahti city councillor, has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland. The landmark ruling, delivered on Monday, September 1, found Ekpa guilty of terrorism-related offenses, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of Finnish law. The court concluded that Ekpa incited terrorist acts and participated in the activities of a terrorist organization, using his extensive social media following, particularly on X, to promote violence and destabilization across Nigeria’s South-East region between August 2021 and November 2024.

According to the Finnish court, Ekpa was not merely a commentator but an influential member of a militant separatist movement, aiming to establish an independent Biafra state. He was found to have issued direct calls to violence, encouraged attacks on Nigerian security operatives, and facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives, and ammunition to armed groups in Nigeria through his network of contacts. His offences were committed from Lahti, Finland, establishing the court's jurisdiction.

The Federal Government of Nigeria swiftly welcomed the conviction, hailing it as a