Pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa, arrested in Finland for alleged terrorism-related activities, is scheduled to face charges in May 2025, Finnish authorities confirmed this week.
According to Mikko Laaksonen, Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the district court has set May 2025 as the deadline for prosecutors to present charges against Ekpa, who has been in custody since his arrest last week. The arrest, along with four others, follows suspicions of terrorism financing, incitement to violence, and the promotion of terrorism through social media.
Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, is accused of using social media to incite violence and terror in Nigeria’s South-East region. Finnish authorities believe Ekpa’s activities, including promoting sit-at-home orders and attacks on civilians and security forces, have been linked to coordinated terrorist operations since 2021.
The Päijät-Häme District Court has charged Ekpa with public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent, while the other suspects are under investigation for terrorism financing. Despite the ongoing investigation, Laaksonen confirmed that the Finnish authorities are cooperating with international counterparts, though further details on these collaborations remain confidential.
Ekpa’s arrest has garnered international attention, especially from Nigeria, where his activities have had significant repercussions. His calls for the boycott of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, which led to violent enforcement measures, intensified concerns about the destabilizing effects of his rhetoric. Nigerian officials, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have expressed support for Ekpa’s detention, viewing it as a critical step in addressing the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and curbing transnational threats to Nigeria’s security.
Ekpa’s arrest also triggered reactions from Nigerian lawmakers. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South welcomed the development, suggesting that Ekpa’s detention could help reduce violence in the South-East. Abaribe criticized Ekpa for hijacking the peaceful Biafra movement and turning it into a violent cause, which he said had tarnished IPOB’s legitimate struggle for self-determination.
Meanwhile, IPOB’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor dismissed rumors of a planned declaration of an independent Biafra on December 2, 2024, calling for peace and urging those misled by Ekpa’s rhetoric to abandon the divisive cause. Ejiofor emphasized that true liberation for the Igbo people could only be achieved through peaceful means, not violence or criminality.
The case remains under close scrutiny as Finnish authorities prepare for the May 2025 court proceedings.
