Simon Ekpa jailed for six years — what will happen to him next? — here’s all to know

The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Monday, September 1, sentenced Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism-related offenses, along with other crimes, according to court documents reviewed by BBC News.

The 40-year-old former Lahti municipal politician was convicted of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization, inciting the public to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, engaging in aggravated tax fraud, and violating provisions of the Lawyers Act. The court ordered that he remain in custody.

Promoting Biafra Independence Through Illegal Means

According to the court, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to advance the independence of the self-proclaimed Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through unlawful activities.

The court documents reveal that Ekpa used social media to secure a politically influential role, exploiting divisions within the separatist movement to elevate himself as a key figure. “He founded and developed the activities of the separatist movement into an increasingly organized form, together with others,” the court noted.

Armed groups were subsequently formed under the separatist movement, which the district court classified as terrorist organizations. Ekpa was found to have supplied these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his network of contacts. He also allegedly urged and encouraged his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria.

Court Proceedings and Decision

The main hearing took place between May 30 and June 25, 2025, spanning 12 sessions. A panel of three judges presided over the case, and all unanimously agreed on the judgment.

Background to the Case

Finnish authorities first arrested Ekpa in December 2024 on suspicion of terrorist activities. The Päijät-Häme District Court at the time ordered his detention based on probable cause, citing concerns that he had been publicly inciting people to commit crimes with terrorist intent.

Investigators alleged that Ekpa used his social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda and encourage violence. The suspected crimes took place between August 23, 2021, and late 2024 in Lahti, Finland.

In addition to Ekpa, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation had initially sought the arrest of four other men on suspicion of terrorist offenses. However, those charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Simon Ekpa: from athlete and Lahti politician to convicted separatist leader

Simon Njoku Ekpa was born in March 1985 in Ohaukwu, Ebonyi State, in southeastern Nigeria. He first came to public attention as a promising track athlete — winning medals for Nigeria at junior events — before moving to Finland, where he settled with his family and became active in local civic life. In Lahti he served in municipal roles and was involved with the Igbo community there; Finnish reporting describes him as a Finnish citizen who learned the language, did national service and entered local politics.

Ekpa’s transformation from local municipal official to an internationally controversial separatist figure began after he aligned himself with Biafra separatist politics. From about 2019 onward he emerged online as a vocal proponent of Biafran self-determination. He styled himself a leader of an exiled Biafra government and later took the title “prime minister” of what he called the Biafra Republic Government in Exile. He organized conventions, promoted a self-styled referendum and used social platforms to direct sit-at-home orders and other campaigns in Nigeria’s southeast — moves that won him both fervent supporters and fierce critics.

Critics and some journalists say Ekpa’s messaging escalated beyond political agitation into calls that encouraged or coincided with violent actions on the ground. Nigerian authorities and some analysts have linked his instructions and “sit-at-home” directives to outbreaks of unrest, and Finnish investigators later flagged his online activity as part of a wider probe into alleged offences. Ekpa and his supporters deny responsibility for violence; nevertheless, his rhetoric and the allegiance of armed groups that claim to operate under Biafran banners drew the attention of law enforcement in multiple countries.

In November 2024 Finnish authorities detained Ekpa during an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation. The probe involved several arrests and international cooperation with Nigerian authorities. Finnish prosecutors later charged him with terrorism-related offences, including participation in activities of a terrorist organization and public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent; they also brought non-terror counts such as aggravated tax fraud and alleged violations of legal-practice rules. At the start of the trial the prosecution asked the court to hand down a six-year sentence.

The case was tried in the Päijät-Häme District Court. Prosecutors argued that between August 2021 and November 2024 Ekpa had used social media to cultivate political influence and to organize the separatist movement into an increasingly structured, and at times violent, force. Finnish investigators said some armed groups formed under the movement and that Ekpa had links enabling the transfer of weapons and explosives to those groups — allegations that were central to the terrorism counts. Ekpa has consistently denied directing violence and has framed his work as political advocacy for Biafran self-determination.

On September 1, 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court handed Ekpa a six-year prison sentence after finding him guilty of terrorism offences and related crimes, and ordered that he remain in custody. The judgment represents a major legal crossing point: Finnish courts convicted a long-time expatriate activist of crimes tied to separatist violence in his country of origin. Reporting at the time summarized the court’s findings about organization, incitement, and the supply of arms via contact networks.

Ekpa’s career and conviction sit at the intersection of diaspora politics, online influence, and cross-border law enforcement. Supporters in the Biafran movement and some community members in Lahti have defended him as a freedom advocate and rallied after his detention; at the same time, the Nigerian government and security officials have repeatedly requested his extradition and publicly urged Finland and the EU to act against what they call subversive and violent activity. The case also sparked debate in Finland about the limits of free speech, transnational activism, and how host countries handle activists accused of fomenting violence abroad.

Looking ahead, the conviction will reshape Ekpa’s influence. Convicted under Finnish law, he faces imprisonment and the legal consequences that follow; politically, his conviction could weaken the organizational coherence of the groups that publicly followed his directives — or alternatively, it could harden support among those who view him as a political martyr. Internationally it has already prompted questions about how democratic states should balance protections for political speech with obligations to prevent the export of violence across borders. Analysts say the case will be watched closely by governments, human rights groups and separatist movements alike