Finnish Court Detains Notorious Separatist Simon Ekpa on Terrorism Charges

Finnish court detains Biafran separatist leader suspected of terrorism
Simon Ekpa sits on Lahti's public transport committee as a member of the National Coalition party, and has become a figurehead for a separatist movement in Nigeria. https://yle.fi/a/74-20126210

On the TV screen, a remote session of a district court.

On Thursday, the Päijät-Häme District Court held a hearing in which five people are suspected of terrorist offences. One of the suspects is Simon Ekpa (face covered in the photo), a local politician from Lahti. Image: Petri Niemi / Yle
Yle News
21.11. 11:47
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian municipal politician, has been detained by the Päijät-Häme District Court on probable cause for incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. The alleged offense occurred in Lahti on 23 August, 2021.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also seeking the detention of four additional men on terrorism-related charges.

Ekpa, who has represented Finland's National Coalition Party (NCP) in local roles, currently serves on Lahti's public transport committee. He is also known for leading a separatist group in Nigeria advocating for the establishment of an independent Biafran state in the country's southeast.

According to the NBI, Ekpa is suspected of using his leadership position in a Nigerian separatist group to promote actions that have led to violence against civilians and authorities in southeastern Nigeria. These efforts are believed to have been coordinated from Finland, including through Ekpa's social media channels.

"This activity has been carried out, among other means, via social media channels," said Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen in a statement.

The NBI stated that its investigation focuses on a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent, born in the 1980s, suspected of publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent. The police also suspect four other individuals of financing terrorism. All five were apprehended earlier this week.

Among the suspects, Ekpa resides in the Lahti region, while two others have addresses in Helsinki. One suspect has no registered address in Finland.

History of controversy
Ekpa has previously been implicated in criminal activities. In 2023, Finnish police detained him on suspicion of fundraising fraud but released him later the same evening.

Ekpa's separatist activism has drawn global attention, particularly his calls to boycott Nigerian elections.

"No elections will be held! Nigerian elections will not be allowed in Biafran territory in 2023," he declared in a video on social media.

Ekpa has also publicly justified the use of violence.

"I support violence against Nigerian government forces. This is self-defence. They constantly attack us and have committed numerous war crimes. We have no choice but to defend ourselves," he stated.

Party responds
​​NCP Secretary Timo Elo declined to comment on Ekpa's possible membership of the party.

"We never say who is and who isn't our member. That is confidential information," Elo told Yle.

Elo did however say that if a member of the party was suspected of terrorism offences, that would likely lead to their expulsion.

According to Elo, Ekpa's role on the public transport commission, for example, should be assessed locally.