THE Federal Government has described the sentencing of pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa as a victory against terrorism in Nigeria.
On Monday, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland handed Ekpa a six-year prison term after finding him guilty of inciting terrorist acts and associating with a terrorist group.
The court established that Ekpa leveraged his vast social media following to incite violence and destabilisation across Nigeria’s South-East region between August 2021 and November 2024.
In his reaction in a statement posted on X, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, welcomed the ruling, calling it a “major victory in the war against terror” in the country.
“A major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective fight against terror,” he posted.
Also in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Mohammed described the ruling as a notable development in the global effort to address terrorism and political violence.
He said the verdict brought justice to many Nigerians affected by the violent acts encouraged and supported by Ekpa and his associates.
He added that it also strengthened the relationship between Nigeria and Finland.
“For years, Ekpa’s inflammatory messages and support for violent activities have led to loss of lives, displacement, destruction of property, and fear in several communities. These actions directly threatened Nigeria’s peace and stability,” he stated.
The minister argued that the decision by the Finnish judiciary affirmed Nigeria’s position and sent a clear message that people who promoted violence would face consequences, regardless of where they operated.from.
He added that the President Bola Tinubu administration would continue to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens.
The Federal Government also urged those influenced by Ekpa’s actions to reject violence and pursue peaceful engagement.
The government expressed appreciation to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Armed Forces, security and intelligence agencies, the Ministry of Justice, and the Nigeria Police for their service to the nation.
It said their work, along with the resilience of Nigerians, remained essential to the country’s stability.
Also speaking on Ekpa’s sentence in Finland, a former senator, Shehu Sani, reflected on his own release from Aba Prison in Abia State in 1998 after serving four years of a 15-year sentence for treason.
He remarked that while Ekpa might not endure the same harsh conditions, such as surviving on garri for every meal, the psychological weight of losing his freedom remained a profound form of suffering.
“When I heard Simon Ekpa bagged six years in prison in Finland, I remembered when I was released from Aba Prison, Abia state in 1998 after serving four of my 15 years sentence for treason. I believe Ekpa will not eat garri breakfast, lunch and dinner like us, even though the loss of freedom is an unquantifiable mental torture,” he posted.
Also reacting to the ruling, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and die-hard Tinubu supporter, Joe Igbokwe, alleged that the most notable part of the judgment was that Ekpa would be sent back to Nigeria after completing his six-year prison term in Finland to face terrorism charges.
He added that the South-East had endured heavy losses over the past decade and noted that the identities of those involved would astonish the world.
Igbokwe also expressed a personal desire to confront those who attacked and burnt his home – the City of David in Nnewi, Enugu State, on October 3, 2021, under the pretence of pursuing the Biafra struggle.
“The most Interesting part of the judgment is that Simon Ekpa will be deported after serving six years in a Finnish prison to face terrorism charges in Nigeria.
“The pains of what we lost in the SE in 10 years will go round. The findings and those involved will shock the world. My own prayer is to see face to face and know the people that invaded the City Of David Nnewi on October 3 2021 and set it on fire all in the name of the non existing Biafraud nonsense,” he posted on Facebook.
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed disciple of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has spearheaded the controversial sit-at-home protests in the South-East.
The campaign’s violent enforcement has left several civilians and security officers dead.
After Kanu was extradited from Kenya in June 2021, Ekpa briefly took over as the main broadcaster on Radio Biafra. His stint was short-lived, as IPOB removed him for defying the station’s code of conduct.
The fallout deepened internal rifts and prompted him to create a splinter group.
The ICIR reported that a court in Finland sentenced him to six years in prison for terrorism-related and other offences.
The Court on Monday, September 1, convicted the 40-year-old former municipal politician from Lahti on multiple charges, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, provocation to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.
According to the judgment, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the “Biafra region” in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.
Ekpa was accused of using social media to gain a politically significant position and taking advantage of the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in the group.
The court also found that Ekpa played a crucial role in founding and developing the separatist movement into a more organised structure, working alongside others.
During the trial, it was argued that armed groups were established under the movement, which the court classified as terrorist organisations.
Ekpa, however, denied all the charges against him.
The trial spanned 12 sittings between May 30 and June 25, 2025. It ended with a unanimous verdict by a three-judge panel.
A reporter with the ICIR
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