Simon Ekpa Gets Six-Year Sentence in Finland for Ipob Separatist Activities
A Finnish court has sentenced Simon Ekpa, leader of an Indigenous People of Biafra faction, to six years for supplying weapons and inciting violence in Nigeria.
A Finnish court has sentenced Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian origin, to six years in prison after convicting him on terrorism-related charges. The Päijät-Häme District Court found that Ekpa promoted the independence of Nigeria's south-eastern Biafra region through illegal means and armed local militant groups.
According to the unanimous verdict, spanning the period from August 2021 to November 2024, Ekpa used his network to provide weapons and explosives to factions within the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), and employed social media to incite violence in Nigeria. He was also convicted of aggravated tax fraud. Ekpa, who denies the charges, was arrested in Finland in February 2023.
Background of the Ipob Movement
Founded in 2012 as a peaceful campaign, Ipob declared an armed wing in 2020 to defend the Igbo ethnic group but has since been accused of fueling instability in south-eastern Nigeria. The movement, banned in Nigeria, seeks an independent state called Biafra-echoing a failed 1960s secession that led to a civil war and massive casualties.
The Nigerian government requested Ekpa's extradition, accusing him and 96 others of terrorism, violent extremism, and secessionist threats. Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu is currently on trial in Nigeria for similar charges.
Simon Ekpa's conviction underscores Finland's commitment to prosecuting cross-border terrorism and the complexities of modern separatist movements in West Africa.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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