• FG, CDS commend conviction, reaffirm commitment to combat terror
• IPOB dissociates from Ekpa
A district court in Finland has sentenced Biafran political activist, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison. Ekpa was found guilty on multiple charges of terrorism-related offences, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of legal statutes governing attorneys.
Ekpa was convicted by the Paijat-Hame District Court of participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.
The court found that between August 2021 and November 2024, he used his social media influence to inflame tensions in Nigeria’s South-East, advocating for Biafran independence by force and supporting armed groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition.
Arrested by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation in November 2024, Ekpa was held pending further proceedings. He was specifically accused of inciting violence via social media and supporting armed separatist operations in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, have commended the landmark judgment. The commendation was communicated in a statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the statement, the ruling stands 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 said: “For years, Ekpa’s reckless incitement and orchestration of violence through IPOB terror activities unleashed unspeakable pain: families shattered, businesses destroyed, children orphaned, and entire communities forced to live under fear. Hundreds of lives were lost, and many more maimed, in pursuit of a destructive and unlawful agenda that sought to undermine the peace, unity, and sovereignty of our nation.”
ON his part, the CDS, Gen. Musa, has expressed support for the judgment. He described the ruling as a landmark victory in the global effort to combat terrorism and violent extremism, noting that the conviction reinforced the principle that those who incite violence and fund terrorism will be held accountable, regardless of their location.
“This judgment sends a strong message that there is no haven for individuals or groups who sponsor or encourage acts of terror against Nigeria or any other sovereign state”.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria commend the Finnish authorities for their diligence in ensuring justice is served,” he said. Gen Musa commended the Nigerian security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and diplomats for their unwavering collaboration and painstaking efforts in providing actionable evidence that led to Ekpa’s conviction.
He noted that the success reflects the power of international cooperation and collaboration in addressing transnational threats. Musa reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ resolve to continue working with global partners to dismantle terrorist networks and ensure lasting peace and security across Nigeria.
He called on all Nigerians to remain vigilant and support security agencies in the ongoing fight against insurgency and violent separatist movements.
Nevertheless, reacting to the development, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), which described it as a welcome development and a sobering reminder of the Nigerian government’s chronic failure to confront insecurity and hold perpetrators of violence accountable at home, added that the fact that “justice came not in Nigeria but in faraway Finland is deeply telling.”
HOWEVER, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, distanced itself from the conviction of Ekpa in Finland, stressing that his activities have no affiliation with the group.
The group accused the Nigerian government of launching a smear campaign to discredit its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu. In a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB described the reported attempt to link Ekpa to its movement as “a brazen fraud against truth and justice.”
According to the group, Ekpa admitted in court that he was “merely a content creator,” and had disowned IPOB, and even boasted of working to destroy it.
