Nigerian Government Eyes Bringing Home Convicted Separatist After Finland Hands Down Six-Year Sentence
By: Akinde Oluwaseun
The story everyone’s been waiting for finally has an ending. Sort of.
Simon Ekpa, the Nigerian-born Finnish citizen who’s been stirring up trouble from thousands of miles away, just got slammed with a six-year prison sentence by a Finnish court. And now? The Nigerian government is seriously considering bringing him home once he’s done his time.
Monday was judgment day for the 40-year-old former politician. The Päijät-Häme District Court didn’t mess around – they found him guilty on multiple charges that read like a terrorist’s playbook. Participation in terrorist activities. Inciting violence. Tax fraud. Even violations of Finland’s Lawyers Act.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris wasn’t giving much away when reporters pressed him about repatriation plans. “The Nigerian government will assess the situation and take decisions in the best interest of the country,” he said. Classic political speak, but the message was clear enough.
The court painted a pretty damning picture during those 12 trial sessions between May and June. Ekpa wasn’t just some keyboard warrior posting angry tweets. According to the judges, he was actively building armed groups, supplying them with weapons and explosives through his network. He used X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) to encourage his followers back in Nigeria to commit actual crimes.
That’s a far cry from peaceful protest.
Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi kept things diplomatic in his response, thanking Finnish authorities for their cooperation. “Appropriate further actions will be taken upon receipt and study of a copy of the court’s judgment,” his statement read. Translation: they’re planning their next moves carefully.
The government’s official response was everything you’d expect – lots of talk about watersheds moments and international cooperation. But between the lines, there was genuine relief. Minister Idris didn’t hold back his appreciation for the Finnish judiciary’s “firm stand in upholding the rule of law.”
Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa called it “a landmark victory in the global effort to combat terrorism.” Strong words from Nigeria’s top military officer.
Then came the pushback.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wasted no time distancing themselves from Ekpa. Their Media Director Emma Powerful was crystal clear: “Simon Ekpa has never held any position in IPOB or ESN.” According to them, Ekpa had created his own parallel organizations – the “Biafra Government in Exile,” “Biafra Liberation Army,” and “Biafra Defence Force.”
IPOB’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor was even more blunt. He called Ekpa’s conviction “a stern warning against fraud, violence, and false claims.” Ejiofor accused Ekpa of building a “criminal operation by defrauding followers with false promises of warships, fighter jets, and imminent Biafra independence.”
Harsh words from people who supposedly shared his cause.
The Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders struck a more measured tone, calling for peace rather than “politically-motivated prosecutions and persecutions.” Their President-General Goodluck Ibem emphasized that “the South East is in desperate need of peace, development, and unity—not bloodshed and fear.”
What happens next remains unclear. Ekpa’s got six years to serve in Finland first. Whether Nigeria will actually seek his return afterwards – well, that depends on how serious they are about those “further actions” they keep mentioning.
One thing’s certain though. This case has sent a message that distance doesn’t equal immunity. Not anymore.
The world really is watching, just like Minister Idris said. And sometimes, justice does catch up.
