Finnish authorities have filed terrorism-related charges against Simon Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian national and outspoken separatist leader, over his activities linked to the push for an independent Biafra.
In a statement on Friday, Finland’s National Prosecution Authority announced that a Finnish individual had been charged with “suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”
Though the statement did not name the individual, Finnish public broadcaster YLE confirmed the accused is Ekpa, a self-declared Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile.
The alleged offences reportedly occurred between 2021 and 2024 in the Finnish city of Lahti.
According to the prosecution, the charges stem from “public messages inciting violent actions with the aim of advancing the independence of Biafra.”
Ekpa remains in custody and has denied all allegations.
Ekpa, a former athlete and lawyer, rose to prominence within the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, which seeks the secession of Nigeria’s southeastern region.
That area was the centre of Nigeria’s bloody civil war in the late 1960s following a failed Biafra independence bid.
Beyond his activism, Ekpa was also active in Finnish politics and once served on a public transport committee in Lahti under the conservative National Coalition Party.
He was arrested in November 2024. At the time, four others were also detained on suspicion of financing his activities, but charges against them were later dropped due to lack of evidence.
The Finnish prosecution’s move marks a significant escalation in the international dimension of Nigeria’s separatist struggle.
“The charges relate to public messages inciting violent actions,” prosecutors reiterated, emphasizing the alleged intent behind the communications.
