Finnish authorities have charged Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa with inciting terrorism through online activities.
The National Prosecution Authority of Finland announced on Friday that a dual Finnish-Nigerian citizen had been charged with “public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent” and participating in a terrorist group. Though the statement did not name the suspect, Finnish broadcaster YLE confirmed the individual as Simon Ekpa.
According to prosecutors, the crimes took place in Lahti, Finland, between 2021 and 2024. They are linked to Ekpa’s efforts to make Nigeria’s Biafra region an independent nation.
Ekpa, who claims to lead the “Biafra Republic Government in Exile,” has been in custody since November 2023. He denies all charges.
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Ekpa is known as a factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group demanding independence for Nigeria’s southeast. The region witnessed a bloody civil war in the late 1960s over the Biafran cause.
In addition to his role in the Biafran movement, Ekpa was also involved in Finnish politics. He once served on the public transport committee in Lahti as a local representative of Finland’s National Coalition Party.
When Finnish police arrested Ekpa, they also detained four other individuals suspected of helping to fund his activities. However, the prosecution has now dropped charges against those four due to a lack of evidence.
The case has drawn attention in both Finland and Nigeria, as authorities monitor the impact of Ekpa’s messages and actions on public safety and international relations.