Finnish prosecutors have charged a dual Finnish-Nigerian national, identified by media as Simon Ekpa, with inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
The charges stem from alleged actions between 2021 and 2024 in Lahti, Finland, related to efforts to establish Nigeria’s Biafra region as an independent state. The Finnish National Prosecution Authority withheld the suspect’s identity, but public broadcaster YLE named Ekpa as the accused.
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile and a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was detained in November. He has denied the charges and remains in custody. Known for promoting Biafran separatism, Ekpa has also served as a local representative for Finland’s National Coalition Party and was a member of Lahti’s public transport committee.
The case initially involved five suspects, including Ekpa, but charges against four others were dropped due to insufficient evidence. Finnish authorities had suspected the group of financing separatist activities. Ekpa has previously been flagged in multiple AFP fact checks for spreading misinformation during his independence campaigns.
