A man saved a baby during a fire in Lagos, acting quickly and bravely to rescue the child from danger. While this local hero made headlines in Nigeria, another serious issue is unfolding in Europe involving a controversial Nigerian figure.
Simon Ekpa, who is known as a self-declared leader in the Biafra separatist movement, has officially been charged with terrorism-related crimes in Finland. He was first arrested in November 2024 and has been held in custody since then. On May 16, 2025, Finnish authorities formally charged him with encouraging terrorism and taking part in the activities of a terrorist group.
The charges relate to incidents that happened between 2021 and 2024 in the Finnish city of Lahti. Although the Finnish prosecution did not release the name of the suspect, the national broadcaster YLE confirmed that it is Simon Ekpa. He is accused of making public statements that supported terrorist acts and for being involved in a group considered to be a terrorist organization.
Ekpa, who holds both Finnish and Nigerian citizenship, has denied all the allegations. He is still in custody while the legal case goes forward. The trial will take place in the Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti, though no date has been set yet.
Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) confirmed to the Vanguard newspaper that the charges were officially filed on May 16. According to the DSS, the suspected crimes happened from August 2021 to November 2024 and the case will be handled in a Finnish court.
Ekpa has become widely known for leading a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which is seeking to break away from Nigeria. He also claims to head a Biafran government in exile and has used his online platform to spread messages about the movement. Authorities say many of these messages encouraged violence in Nigeria’s southeastern region.
Finnish police believe that Ekpa incited violence and called for attacks against civilians and government officials in Nigeria, all from his home in Lahti. Despite these allegations, he holds a local political position on a public transport committee in Lahti as part of a conservative party.
At the time of his arrest, Finnish police also detained four other people who were suspected of helping Ekpa with money. However, those individuals were later released because there wasn’t enough evidence to charge them.
The case is still being investigated by both Finnish and Nigerian authorities. They continue to look into Simon Ekpa’s possible role in encouraging unrest connected to the pro-Biafra movement.
