The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has commenced the trial of Biafra separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, on charges bordering on terrorism and incitement to violence, in a case that has drawn significant attention from Nigerian and international observers.
Ekpa, a dual Nigerian-Finnish national, appeared in court on Friday to face multiple charges, including public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent and participation in a terrorist group.
According to Finnish public broadcaster, Yle, the controversial figure could face a minimum sentence of six years in prison if convicted.
During the proceedings, the state prosecutor, Sampsa Hakala, presented posts from Ekpa’s X (formerly Twitter) account as key evidence, alleging that he used social media platforms to incite violence and unrest in Nigeria from the safety of his base in Finland.
“We have a lot of evidence of this person’s activities on the internet and his communications.
“So far, it’s a pretty good picture of what we think happened in this matter,” Hakala said, noting that although the alleged acts occurred in Africa, investigators have pieced together significant online activity linking Ekpa to the offences.
Ekpa, who was in court alongside his defence counsel, Kaarle Gummerus, denied all the charges during police investigations.
His lawyer argued that evidence provided from Nigeria was unverifiable and could not be independently authenticated by the Finnish authorities.
In addition to the terrorism-related allegations, Ekpa is also facing separate charges in Finland for aggravated tax fraud and violations of the Attorneys Act.
The case has sparked strong reactions from various quarters, particularly the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who on Monday criticised the Finnish authorities for scheduling the trial to coincide with Biafra Heroes Day — a date set aside by the group to honour those who died in the Nigerian Civil War.
In a statement, IPOB distanced itself from Ekpa, insisting he is not a member of the organisation and has been publicly disowned by its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group’s statement read in part: “Simon Ekpa is not and has never been a member of IPOB. His activities do not reflect the ideology or operational conduct of our movement.
“It is unacceptable that his trial was fixed on a sacred date that commemorates our martyrs.”
Ekpa has been a controversial figure in Nigeria’s South-East, where a series of sit-at-home orders and violent attacks have been linked to groups allegedly loyal to him.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly called on Finland to act on Ekpa’s alleged role in escalating violence in the region.
The trial continues, with Finnish authorities expected to present more digital and testimonial evidence in the coming sessions.
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