On May 9, 2025, Finland’s National Prosecution Authority formally charged Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish separatist leader, with public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent, linked to his activities promoting Biafran secession in Nigeria’s southeast. The case, unfolding in Lahti, marks a significant escalation in international efforts to curb Ekpa’s influence.
Ekpa, 40, leads the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), a breakaway faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), advocating for an independent Biafra since 2021. Arrested in November 2024 by Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Ekpa is accused of using social media, with 180,000 followers on X, to incite violence against Nigerian security forces and civilians, including a 2023 election boycott that led to 50 deaths in Anambra and Ebonyi. Prosecutors cite a 2022 broadcast threatening a youth leader, killed weeks later, and 2024 posts claiming BRGIE’s Biafra Liberation Army “neutralized” four Nigerian soldiers.
Finland’s charges, carrying a seven-year maximum sentence, focus on Ekpa’s activities from August 2021 to November 2024. The NBI froze his assets and those of associated firms, citing $500,000 in alleged terrorism financing. Nigeria, which declared Ekpa wanted in March 2024, praised Finland’s action, with President Tinubu commending bilateral cooperation. The case has strained Nigeria-Finland relations, with 2024 trade of $200 million at risk, and Nigeria’s 2023 request for Ekpa’s extradition remains pending.
Ekpa, a former Nigerian athlete and Lahti public transport officer, denies the charges, claiming Nigeria orchestrates southeast violence. His trial, set for June 2025, involves 10 witnesses and 1,000 hours of video evidence. Finland dropped charges against four co-suspects due to insufficient evidence. The case, impacting 10 million Igbos in Nigeria’s southeast, where 2024 violence displaced 200,000, tests Finland’s anti-terrorism laws and Nigeria’s counterinsurgency strategy, with 70% of 2025 polls urging diplomatic resolution.