The Federal Government has hailed the conviction of Simon Ekpa by a Finnish Court on terrorism-related charges as “a major victory” in the fight against terrorism.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the statement while responding to Ekpa’s six-year prison sentence handed down by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Monday.
“We welcome the news of Simon Ekpa’s conviction by a Finnish court for terrorism-related crimes and his sentencing to six years in prison. A major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror,” Mohammed posted on his official X handle.
Ekpa was convicted for his involvement in terrorist group activities, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.
The court ordered his continued detention, ruling that he had supplied “weapons, explosives, and ammunition” to these groups and used his platform on X (formerly Twitter) to “commit crimes” in Nigeria.
The trial, held between May 30 and June 25, 2025, lasted 12 hearing days. A panel of three judges unanimously delivered the verdict, as reported by Finnish newspaper Yle.
The judges found Ekpa to be an influential figure in a militant separatist movement seeking to establish a Biafran state. According to the ruling, he committed the crimes from Lahti, where he resides, giving the Finnish court jurisdiction.
Ekpa, a former local councillor in Lahti, denied all charges during the proceedings.
Although convicted, the verdict is not final and may be appealed in a higher court.
Ekpa was arrested in December 2024 after Finnish authorities accused him of inciting violence and spreading separatist propaganda via social media.