Simon Ekpa, the factional leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has been sentenced to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme in Finland for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, NBI, arrested him alongside four others for alleged terrorist offences, according to reports by the BBC.
Ekpa, a Nigerian–Finnish citizen, is accused of using his leadership position within IPOB, a separatist group seeking an independent state for the Igbo ethnic group, to incite violence in Nigeria’s Southeast region.
The alleged offences, which included inciting violence against civilians and authorities, were said to have taken place in August 2021 in Lahti, Finland.
The separatist leader gained prominence in 2021 after the arrest of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
He initially served as the lead broadcaster of IPOB’s Radio Biafra before launching his platform, Enter Biafra Freedom Awareness Channels, where he advocated violence.
Ekpa, through his “Autopilot” faction, enforced sit-at-home orders in Southeastern Nigeria, which led to killings and widespread insecurity.
In 2023, Ekpa declared himself “Prime Minister” of a self-proclaimed “Biafra Republic Government in Exile” and reportedly raised funds from supporters worldwide through online platforms.
Ekpa’s activities have significantly escalated unrest in Nigeria’s Southeast, once regarded as the nation’s safest region.
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