By Peter Omopo
1st September 2025
The Federal Government has welcomed the conviction of separatist agitator Simon Ekpa by a Finnish court, describing it as a significant step in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
On Monday, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison after finding him guilty of several offences, including participation in a terrorist group, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and breaches of the Lawyers Act.
Reacting via his official X account, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the verdict was “a major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror.”
The district court, sitting with a three-judge panel, delivered the unanimous ruling after hearings held between May 30 and June 25, 2025. Judges found that Ekpa, a prominent figure in the separatist movement pushing for a breakaway Biafran state, supplied fighters with weapons, explosives, and ammunition, while also inciting violence in Nigeria through posts on X (formerly Twitter).
The court further ruled that Ekpa played a key role in building the separatist network into an organised structure, though he denied all charges during the proceedings.
Ekpa, who was arrested in December 2024, remains in custody, but the verdict is not final and can be appealed to a higher court.
