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Breaking News: Finland Jails Simon Ekpa, Self-Proclaimed IPOB Leader, Six Years for Terrorism Offenses
Watchtower media can confirm that a District Court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Government in Exile, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes.
Ekpa, who has been a controversial figure in Nigeria’s southeast, was arrested by Finnish authorities on November 21, 2024, after an extensive investigation by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The probe linked him to incitement of terrorism and violent activities spread through social media platforms, which fueled unrest across southeastern Nigeria.
The Päijät-Häme District Court ruled that Ekpa’s offenses amounted to “public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent”. The charges covered a period stretching from August 2021 to November 2024.
Following his arrest, Ekpa was remanded in custody while Finnish investigators also froze his assets, alongside those of his associates and related companies, as part of broader counter-terrorism measures.
His conviction marks one of the most significant legal actions taken against a diaspora-based separatist figure whose influence extended beyond Nigeria’s borders.