Simon Ekpa Njoku (born March 21, 1985), also known as Simon Ekpa, is a Finnish politician and Biafran political activist. In 2022, while in Finland, he declared the Biafra Government in Exile (BGIE) operational, and in 2023, he declared himself the head (named “Prime Minister”) of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile. As of 2025, he is in prison in Finland.
Simon Ekpa Biography and Career
Simon Ekpa comes from Ngbo in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, in South-Eastern Nigeria. He is a Chief, a kingmaker, and one of the heirs to the throne. He is the son of the late King Nwangbo (Ogaba Idu of the Ngbo tribe).
Simon Ekpa is a member of the Finnish military reserve force. Between 2015 and 2017, he was the Chairman of the Igbo Union in Finland. He is now a Finnish politician and a former lecturer at Aberystwyth University’s Department of Law and Criminology.
Hon Ekpa has a master’s degree in Law and is widely recognized as a legal genius. He’s now working on his PhD research project. A successful businessman who exemplifies Igbo culture and traditions. He is the current Chairman of the Igbo Union in Finland.
Simon Ekpa graduated from Aberystwyth University, where he studied Law and ABMS Switzerland. He earned his PHD, Doctor of Philosophy.
Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian pro-Biafra supporter, began his career as a sportsman. As a youth, he enjoyed sports, which motivated him to become a sprinter.
In 2003, Ekpa won a silver medal for Nigeria in the 100 meters at the African Junior Athletics Championships in Cameroon.
However, his athletic career did not take off. Simon retired and studied law in Finland after migrating in 2007.
Simon Ekpa resides in Lahti, Finland, with his wife and family. He belongs to the National Coalition Party of Finland. Simon ran for office in the 2012 Finnish County Elections in 2022.
Simon Ekpa Arrest & Biafra
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detained Ekpa in November 2024 on allegations of terrorist activity in Nigeria. According to Finnish police, the claims are being investigated with international collaboration. It claimed the Nigerian government had been contacted for comment.
Four more people were arrested by the NBI on suspicion of terrorist activity. In January 2025, The Nation reported that two of the four people imprisoned alongside Ekpa had been released.
The District Court of Päijät-Häme remanded Ekpa into detention on suspicion of public incitement to commit a terrorist-related offense. He is suspected of committing the offense between August 23, 2021, and November 18, 2024.
According to the article, the NBI has frozen his and his collaborators’ assets, as well as the assets of firms affiliated with him. This is his second arrest in Finland; he was previously jailed in 2023 on suspicion of illicit fundraising but freed shortly thereafter.
On December 3, 2024, hundreds of Biafrans, who consider Ekpa their Prime Minister, gathered in Lahti to protest his detention. His deputy, Ngozi Orabueze, stated that the sit-at-home campaign championed by Ekpa would continue. She declared her determination to secure Ekpa’s release. In February 2025, Orabueze announced herself as the United States of Biafra’s (USB) deputy prime minister and chief of staff, while Ekpa served as the organization’s prime minister.
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According to the Daily Post, as of March 2025, Ogechukwu Nkere is BRGIE’s acting prime minister. President Bola Tinubu praised the Finnish authorities for the arrest. The Finnish ambassador to Nigeria claimed, “Simon Ekpa has hampered bilateral cooperation. The cooperation between our two countries is presently going extremely well, and the National Security Adviser has provided all of the facts.”
The Ambassador commented while presenting her letter of credence to Tinubu in Abuja. While denouncing Finland for the detention, the OEAS asked for Ekpa and Ayaba Cho’s release.
Ayaba, an Ambazonian independence movement leader, was detained by Norwegian authorities in September 2024 for the same crime Ekpa is charged with. It accused Finland and Norway of working with Nigeria and Cameroon to arrest the couple. Ekpa is set to appear in court in June 2025.
Simon Ekpa Wife, Age
Simon Ekpa is married with children. However, since his movement for Biafra began, his children and wife have been vilified in the media.
Simon Ekpa Net Worth
Simon Ekpa’s estimated net worth is $3.5 million. Simon and his family have done extremely well financially because he has spent the majority of his life in Finland working as a politician and businessman.
Social Media
Twitter: @simon_ekpa
