Finland jails Biafra separatist leader for terrorism offences

A Finnish court yesterday sentenced a Nigerian separatist leader to six years in prison for terrorism offences for promoting the Biafra region's independence by "illegal means".

Simon Ekpa, a 40-year-old dual Finnish-Nigerian national, was found guilty of supplying armed groups with weapons and explosives and inciting others to commit crimes.

The Paijat-Home district court said he was a key figure in the organisations and groups pushing for the independence of Nigeria's southeast region where a 1967-70 civil war left hundreds of thousands dead.

In a statement, the court said it had convicted Ekpa of "participating in the activities of a terrorist group, (and) public incitement to commit a crime for terrorist purposes."

He was also found guilty of aggravated tax fraud.

The crimes were committed in the Finnish city of Lahti between 2021 and 2024.

"He used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of the confusion in a key separatist movement in Nigeria to take a significant role in it," the court said.