Finnish prosecutors have charged Biafra apologist Simon Ekpa with terrorism charges in connection with plans to establish an independent state of Biafra in Nigeria.
In a statement issued Friday, Finland’s National Prosecution Authority announced that it had accused “a Finnish individual in a case involving suspected public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”
The alleged violations occurred in the city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024.
While officials did not reveal the accused’s name, Finnish public radio YLE alleged that he is Simon Ekpa, a dual Finnish-Nigerian national and self-proclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGE).
According to the prosecution, Ekpa remains in custody and denies all charges. “The charges relate to public messages inciting violent actions with the aim of advancing the independence of Biafra.”
Ekpa, a former athlete and lawyer, is well-known for his involvement in the Indigenous People of Biafra movement, which seeks secession for Nigeria’s southeastern region.
The region was the site of a brutal civil war in the late 1960s after a failed attempt to establish the Republic of Biafra.
Ekpa has also been involved in Finnish politics, serving on a public transport committee in Lahti for the conservative party.
He was detained in November 2024, and at the time, Finnish police also sought to detain four individuals accused of sponsoring his actions.
On Friday, the prosecution stated that the charges against those four people had been dismissed due to inadequate evidence.
