Our Reporter, Abuja
The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a self-styled Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, BRGE, to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related offences.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, the court ruled that Ekpa, a long-term resident of Lahti and former city councillor, participated in a terrorist organisation and incited crimes for terrorist purposes. The charges were linked to his alleged involvement with separatist groups in South-Eastern Nigeria.
According to the court, Ekpa exploited his large social media following between August 2021 and November 2024 to promote violence and unrest in the region.
“The accused was an influential member of a separatist movement which established armed groups with the aim of securing Biafra’s independence through force,” the verdict read.
Investigators told the court that Ekpa helped facilitate the supply of weapons, ammunition, and explosives to the groups through contacts in Nigeria. He was also found guilty of using the social media platform X to encourage followers to commit crimes in the country.
The court noted that it assumed jurisdiction over the matter because the offences were committed while Ekpa was living in Finland. Though born in Nigeria and moved to Finland in 2007, Ekpa denied all charges during the trial.
He was arrested on November 21, 2024, after a probe by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which also froze his financial assets along with those of his associates and related companies. The court additionally convicted him of aggravated tax fraud.
The district court’s decision is not final and can be appealed.
