Finnish prosecutors on Friday announced terrorism-related charges against Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed separatist leader advocating for the independence of Nigeria’s South-East region, Biafra.
According to a statement from Finland’s National Prosecution Authority, the accused, a dual Finnish-Nigerian citizen, is facing charges of public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group, committed in Lahti, Finland, between 2021 and 2024.
Although the statement did not officially name the suspect, Finnish public broadcaster YLE confirmed that the man in question is Simon Ekpa, a prominent figure in the movement to revive the defunct Republic of Biafra.
Ekpa has long claimed leadership of a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an organisation banned and designated as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government.
The charges stem from Ekpa’s online activities, which authorities say incited violence and contributed to unrest in southeastern Nigeria. Finnish and Nigerian authorities have been jointly investigating the matter, with allegations that Ekpa’s actions may have led to attacks on civilians and government officials in Nigeria.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation previously detained five individuals in connection with the case. Four were suspected of financing terrorist activities linked to Ekpa but were released during preliminary investigations due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
On Friday, the prosecution authority confirmed that those four individuals will not face charges.
Ekpa, who was initially detained in November 2024, remains in custody and has denied the allegations. He is known to have served as a local representative of Finland’s conservative National Coalition Party, including as a member of a public transport committee in Lahti.
