Finnish prosecutors on Friday charged Simon Ekpa, Nigerian separatist leader, with inciting terrorism.
According to a statement from Finland’s National Prosecution Authority, the accused, a Finnish citizen, faces charges of public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.
The alleged offences occurred in Lahti, southern Finland, between 2021 and 2024, and are linked to efforts to establish the secession of Nigeria’s Biafra region.
While the prosecution authority did not publicly name the suspect, Finnish public broadcaster YLE reported that the individual is Simon Ekpa, a dual Finnish-Nigerian national and a prominent figure in the push for Biafra’s independence.
Ekpa, who claims to lead the self-styled Biafra Republic Government in Exile, was arrested in November 2024 and remains in custody.
He has denied all charges.
Known as a factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ekpa has been a vocal proponent of separating Nigeria’s southeast, the region that witnessed a brutal civil war in the late 1960s.
Aside from his political activism, Ekpa has also been involved in local politics in Finland.
He previously served as a member of the public transport committee in Lahti, representing the conservative National Coalition Party.
Following his arrest, Finnish authorities also requested that four others be detained on suspicion of financing his activities.
However, prosecutors announced on Friday that charges against those individuals had been dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Ekpa has drawn international attention in recent years and has been the subject of multiple fact-checks by Agence France-Presse (AFP) for spreading false claims and disinformation related to his independence campaign.
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