Finland Charges Simon Ekpa with Inciting Terrorism
Finnish authorities have formally charged Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian separatist leader based in Finland, with inciting terrorism through online platforms.
In a statement released on Friday, Finland’s National Prosecution Authority announced that a Finnish citizen had been charged with “public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent” and “participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”
While the statement did not name the individual, Finnish public broadcaster YLE identified the suspect as Simon Ekpa.
The alleged offenses reportedly took place in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024.
Authorities say the charges are linked to the suspect’s campaign to create an independent state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria.
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Ekpa, who describes himself as the Prime Minister of the self-declared Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, was arrested in November. He remains in custody and has denied all charges.
A dual citizen of Nigeria and Finland, Ekpa is known for leading a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group advocating for the secession of Nigeria’s southeast.
The region previously attempted to break away in the 1960s, sparking a devastating civil war.
In addition to his separatist activities, Ekpa has served in local politics as a representative of Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party in Lahti, where he sat on a public transport committee.
At the time of his arrest, Finnish authorities also detained four other individuals suspected of financing his operations. However, the prosecution authority confirmed on Friday that those charges had been dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Ekpa has faced scrutiny over the years for spreading misinformation, with several of his claims debunked in fact-checks conducted by international news agencies, including AFP.
