Finland jails African separatist leader

District Court judges have ruled that Simon Ekpa incited violence in Nigeria and illegally promoted the so-called Biafra Republic’s independence

A court in Finland has sentenced a controversial Nigerian separatist leader to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related offenses and aggravated tax fraud. Abuja has long sought the conviction of Simon Ekpa, claiming his “disruptive” actions have aggravated insecurity in the West African country’s volatile southeast.

Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish lawyer, played a key role in fueling violence in Nigeria’s Biafra region between August 2021 and November 2024, a three-judge panel at the Paijat-Hame District Court ruled unanimously on Monday, according to reports.

He “attempted to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in south-eastern Nigeria by illegal means,” the BBC reported, citing court documents shared by Ekpa’s lawyer. Ekpa denied the charges.

The designated prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) exploited his large social media following to incite crimes with terrorist intent and to strengthen the movement’s push for independence from Africa’s most populous nation, the judges said.

Biafra existed as an independent nation from 1967 to 1970 in southeastern Nigeria, but lost its statehood after a brutal three-year civil war with the Nigerian military. The largely Igbo-dominated region has for years been plagued by insecurity, fueled by clashes between the army and the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which seeks secession. The group has long accused the federal government of marginalization and oppression.

In November 2023, Nigerian army chief Christopher Musa branded Ekpa a “menace” for repeatedly urging protests amid demands for the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who had been detained on charges tied to calls for Biafra’s secession. Musa accused Finnish authorities of shielding the activist and enabling actions he said were driving widespread killings.

Ekpa was arrested in February 2023 at his home in Finland, with police saying they were investigating him for offenses including suspected “money collection.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Abuja welcomed the “landmark judgment” against the “pro-Biafra agitator,” saying it would strengthen relations between Nigeria and Finland. The government said hundreds had been killed and many more maimed over the years by “Ekpa’s reckless incitement and orchestration of violence.”

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