The Päijät-Häme District Court has sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes and other offences.
This is according to official court documents seen by BBC News Pidgin on Monday.
Ekpa was convicted on several 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.
Simon Ekpa was ordered to remain in custody.
According to the ruling, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa tried to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.
“He 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 statement, as reported by BBC News pidgin, read.
Despite denying all the charges against him, the court found that Ekpa was instrumental in founding and developing the separatist movement into a more organised structure, working alongside others.
“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,” it added.
The trial was conducted over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, with a panel of three judges unanimously delivering the verdict.
