The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Monday, September 1, convicted Simon Ekpa of inciting terrorist acts and collaborating with a terrorist organization, ruling that he exploited his large social media audience to fuel violence and unrest across Nigeria’s South-East region between August 2021 and November 2024.
Reacting to the development, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the judgment as a significant milestone in the country’s fight against terrorism. Writing on X, Idris said: “We welcome the news of Simon Ekpa’s conviction by a Finnish court for terrorism-related crimes, and his sentencing to six years in prison. A major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror.”
Ekpa, a vocal supporter of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), rose to prominence as one of the main promoters of the violent sit-at-home orders that disrupted life in the South-East. These actions led to the loss of lives, destruction of property, and deadly clashes with security forces.
After Kanu’s extradition from Kenya in June 2021, Ekpa briefly became the lead broadcaster for Radio Biafra. However, IPOB dismissed him for alleged breaches of the organization’s broadcasting guidelines. Following his dismissal, he established a splinter group and continued to push his separatist agenda.
Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in November 2024, charging him with spreading terrorist propaganda online. He was later convicted, and in March 2025, the Nigerian government officially designated him as a “terrorism financier.”
The Federal Government welcomed the ruling through a detailed statement, calling the conviction a landmark moment in the global fight against extremism.
*”The Federal Government welcomes the landmark judgment of the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland, which on Monday sentenced Simon Ekpa, a self-styled pro-Biafra agitator, to six years’ imprisonment for terrorism offences.
This ruling stands as a watershed moment – not only for the countless innocent Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods have been brutally disrupted by the reign of terror incited and financed by Ekpa and his collaborators—but also for the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Finland.
For years, Ekpa’s reckless incitement and orchestration of violence through IPOB terror activities unleashed unspeakable pain: families shattered, businesses destroyed, children orphaned, and entire communities forced to live under fear. Hundreds of lives were lost, and many more maimed, in pursuit of a destructive and unlawful agenda that sought to undermine the peace, unity, and sovereignty of our nation.
By upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served, the Finnish judiciary has not only vindicated Nigeria’s consistent position on this matter but also sent a clear signal to extremists everywhere that the world is watching, and justice will catch up with those who seek to destabilize societies through terror.
The Tinubu administration remains unshakable in its resolve to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and protect the dignity of every citizen. We will continue to mobilize every resource, diplomatic, military, and judicial, to preserve the peace, unity, and territorial integrity of our country.
We urge all those who, under the misguidance of Simon Ekpa and others, have taken up arms against their fatherland to immediately lay them down and embrace the path of peace. Nigeria is big enough for all its people, but there can be no progress where violence and division prevail.
The Federal Government also extends its profound gratitude to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the security and intelligence agencies, and the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police, whose sacrifices, courage, and commitment continue to secure our homeland in the face of daunting challenges. Their service and the resilience of the Nigerian people remain the backbone of our enduring unity.
As we mark this turning point, the Federal Government enjoins all Nigerians, at home and abroad, to work together for national unity, peace, and security of the country.”*
Ekpa’s conviction is being seen in diplomatic and security circles as a precedent-setting case that underscores the growing international cooperation in tackling cross-border terrorism and extremist propaganda. It also represents a symbolic victory for Nigeria in its long struggle against separatist violence in the South-East.
