FG Hails Six-Year Jail Term for Simon Ekpa in Finland, Calls It a Victory Against Terrorism
FG Hails Six-Year Jail Term for Simon Ekpa in Finland, Calls It a Victory Against Terrorism
The Federal Government has applauded the conviction of pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa by a Finnish court, describing the six-year jail sentence as a major breakthrough in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
On Monday, September 1, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorist activities and collaborating with a terrorist organisation. The court ruled that the Finland-based agitator used his large social media following to fuel violence and unrest across Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reacting to the judgment, said the sentence was “a major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror.”
Ekpa, a self-acclaimed disciple of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, became notorious for spearheading sit-at-home orders that crippled economic activities and led to the deaths of civilians and security operatives in the region.
Following Kanu’s extradition from Kenya in June 2021, Ekpa briefly served as lead broadcaster on Radio Biafra before his removal by IPOB for breaching the group’s code of conduct. He later formed a splinter faction, which authorities accused of stoking further violence.
Ekpa was arrested in Finland in November 2024 and subsequently convicted of spreading terrorist propaganda online. In March 2025, the Nigerian government officially designated him a “terrorism financier.”
In a statement released on Monday, the Federal Government said the judgment not only vindicated its stance on Ekpa but also sent a strong message to extremists worldwide.
“For years, Ekpa’s reckless incitement unleashed untold pain: families shattered, businesses destroyed, children orphaned, and communities forced to live in fear,” the statement read. “By upholding the rule of law, the Finnish judiciary has reinforced the global resolve against terror.”
The government also expressed gratitude to Nigeria’s security agencies and international partners while urging followers of Ekpa and other agitators to abandon violence and embrace peace.
“The Tinubu administration remains steadfast in defending Nigeria’s sovereignty. We call on all those misled by Ekpa’s divisive agenda to lay down their arms. Nigeria is big enough for everyone, but there can be no progress where violence and disunity thrive,” the statement added.
