The Federal Government has said it may request the repatriation of Simon Ekpa to Nigeria following his six-year prison sentence in Finland for terrorism-related offences.
Recall that on Monday, September 1, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland convicted the Nigerian-born Finnish citizen on multiple charges, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act. The 40-year-old former municipal politician from Lahti was ordered to remain in custody.
According to the judgment, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa “used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in it.”
The court also said, “Ekpa equipped the groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his contact network. He also urged and enticed his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria.”
The trial, conducted over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, was unanimously decided by a panel of three judges. Ekpa denied all charges.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told The PUNCH: “The Nigerian government will assess the situation and take decisions in the best interest of the country.”
In an official statement, the Federal Government described the ruling 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.”
Idris added, “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 destabilise societies through terror.”
The statement urged Ekpa’s followers to renounce armed struggle: “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.”
Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, also hailed the verdict. In a statement issued by Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, he said, “The conviction reinforces the principle that those who incite violence and fund terrorism will be held accountable, regardless of their location.” He added, “The success reflects the power of international cooperation and collaboration in addressing transnational threats.”
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) distanced itself from Ekpa, stressing he was never part of the organisation. IPOB’s Media and Publicity Director, Emma Powerful, said, “IPOB under oath in a Finnish court testified that Simon Ekpa has never held any position in IPOB or ESN. Ekpa himself under oath described himself merely as a ‘content creator,’ admitted he disowned IPOB, and boasted that he would destroy IPOB.”
The group accused Ekpa of creating “parallel contraptions” such as the “Biafra Government in Exile,” “Biafra Liberation Army,” and “Biafra Defence Force,” insisting these were rejected by IPOB. “This is a brazen fraud against truth and justice. The world must know that the question of Simon Ekpa’s non-membership in IPOB is already judicially settled in Finland,” Powerful said.
IPOB’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, described the conviction as a warning, saying, “The conviction of Simon Ekpa by a Finnish District Court does not surprise me. His offences, the weakness of his defense, and the inevitable collapse of his fraudulent empire were evident from the start.”
Ejiofor accused Ekpa of defrauding followers with false promises: “Ekpa built his criminal operation by defrauding followers with false promises of warships, fighter jets, and imminent Biafra independence. His trial was about fraud and funding violence, not self-determination.”
He warned, “Those still glorifying Ekpa are not freedom fighters but exploiters of their people.”
