By Abiola Olawale
Simon Ekpa, a Biafra separatist leader and self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, appeared before the Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti, Finland, on May 30, 2025, to face terrorism-related charges.
This comes after Finnish prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Ekpa, seeking a six-year prison sentence and accusing him of allegedly inciting violence and participating in a terrorist organization through his online activities aimed at promoting the secession of Nigeria’s southeastern Biafra region.
However, during the pre-trial hearing on Friday, Ekpa’s lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, argued against the allegations leveled against his clients.
Gummerus raised concerns about the reliability of information coming from Nigeria.
He said information obtained by the Finnish police could not be relied upon to level charges against his client.
Recall that Ekpa, a dual Finnish-Nigerian citizen and former local politician in Lahti, was arrested in November 2024 alongside four others on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing.
According to Finnish authorities, Ekpa allegedly used social media platforms to promote violence targeting civilians and authorities in Nigeria’s southeast, contributing to unrest in the region.
The prosecution, led by State Prosecutor Sampsa Hakala, had presented digital evidence, including Ekpa’s social media posts, to support claims that his actions meet the threshold for terrorism under Finnish law.
