A Finnish court has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a former Lahti municipal politician, to six years in prison over terrorism-related crimes.
The Päijät-Häme District Court handed down the sentence on Monday, 1 September, after concluding the case.
Ekpa, 40, was found guilty of taking part in a terrorist group, encouraging the public to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, engaging in serious tax fraud, and breaching provisions of the Lawyers Act.
The court ordered that he remain in custody.
Authorities determined that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa tried to push for the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria by illegal means.
He allegedly used social media to gain political influence and took advantage of divisions within a key separatist movement.
The court also found that he helped structure the movement into an organized network and supported armed groups, providing them with weapons, explosives, and ammunition.
He reportedly urged his social media followers to commit crimes in Nigeria.
The main hearing lasted from 30 May to 25 June 2025 across 12 session days.
A three-judge panel presided over the case and reached a unanimous decision.
Finnish authorities first arrested Ekpa in December 2024, charging him with alleged terrorist activities and public incitement to crime with terrorist intent.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation had also sought to arrest four other men for terrorism-related offences, but charges against them were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
VERY GOOD FOR HIM, Na so ALL OF THEM go rot IN PRISONS.