The federal government has welcomed the conviction of pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa.
On Monday, the Päijät-Häme district court in Finland,
sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism offences.
The court ruled that Ekpa was guilty of promoting terrorist
acts and being involved with a terrorist organisation.
The court said Ekpa exploited his large social media
audience to fuel unrest in Nigeria’s south-east between August 2021 and
November 2024.
In a post on X, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and
national orientation, said Ekpa’s conviction and sentencing is a “major victory
in the war against terror” in Nigeria.
“We welcome the news of Simon Ekpa’s conviction by a Finnish
court for terrorism-related crimes, and his sentencing to six years in prison,”
he wrote.
“A major victory for the Nigerian people in the collective
fight against terror.”
Ekpa, who describes himself as a follower of Nnamdi Kanu,
the detained leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been
at the forefront of the sit-at-home campaign in the south-east — a movement
whose violent enforcement has resulted in deaths of residents and security
personnel.
After Kanu was extradited to Nigeria from Kenya in June
2021, Ekpa was appointed as Radio Biafra’s lead broadcaster.
Weeks later, IPOB announced Ekpa’s dismissal, citing his
refusal to sign the rules of engagement of Radio Biafra.
The development strained the relationship between IPOB and
Ekpa, and the Finland-based lawyer went on to form a splinter secessionist
group.
In November 2024, Ekpa was arrested by law enforcement in
Finland.
He was subsequently sent to prison by the district court for
“spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
In March 2025, the federal government designated Ekpa a
“terrorism financier”.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com