On Friday, Finnish prosecutors announced that they have formally charged a man—identified by media as Nigerian separatist figure Simon Ekpa—with inciting acts of terrorism through online platforms. According to Finland’s National Prosecution Authority, the charges include public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist organization.
The alleged offenses reportedly took place in Lahti, Finland, over a span of three years, from 2021 to 2024. Prosecutors stated that the suspect’s actions were connected to efforts aimed at establishing Biafra, a breakaway region in southeastern Nigeria, as an independent state.
Though the official statement from the authorities did not disclose the name of the accused, Finnish public broadcaster YLE reported that the individual in question is Simon Ekpa. Ekpa, a dual Finnish-Nigerian citizen, is widely known as a leading voice in the campaign for Biafra’s independence and claims leadership of the self-declared “Biafra Republic Government in Exile.” He was detained by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and remains in custody, denying all charges brought against him.
Ekpa has been associated with a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a movement seeking independence for Nigeria’s southeast. The region experienced a devastating civil war in the late 1960s, which continues to influence separatist sentiments today.
In addition to his activism, Ekpa has also participated in Finnish local politics as a representative of the conservative National Coalition Party in Lahti, where he served on the city’s public transport committee.
Following Ekpa’s arrest, Finnish authorities initially detained four other individuals suspected of financing his activities. However, on Friday, the prosecution revealed that charges against those four individuals had been dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Ekpa has also drawn scrutiny in recent years for spreading disinformation related to his independence campaign, as documented by several fact-checks conducted by AFP.
