Simon Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian politician and self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been detained by Finnish authorities on terrorism-related charges.
Finnish police revealed that among the suspects, Ekpa resides in Lahti, while two other suspects have addresses in Helsinki. One suspect has no registered address in Finland. Ekpa, a member of Lahti’s public transport committee and a former representative of Finland’s National Coalition Party (NCP) in local roles, was detained by the Päijät-Häme District Court for probable cause of incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. The alleged offense took place in Lahti on August 23, 2021.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also pursuing the detention of four additional men on terrorism-related charges, including suspected financing of terrorism. The primary investigation focuses on Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent born in the 1980s, who allegedly used his leadership position in a Nigerian separatist group to incite violence against civilians and authorities in southeastern Nigeria.
Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen stated, “This activity has been carried out, among other means, via social media channels.”
Ekpa, an outspoken advocate for the creation of an independent Biafran state in Nigeria, is suspected of coordinating violent actions from Finland through social media. His activism has included calls to boycott Nigerian elections, including a viral video declaring, “No elections will be held! Nigerian elections will not be allowed in Biafran territory in 2023.”
In 2023, Ekpa was briefly detained by Finnish police on suspicion of fundraising fraud but was released the same evening. He has also publicly justified violence, asserting, “I support violence against Nigerian government forces. This is self-defense. They constantly attack us and have committed numerous war crimes. We have no choice but to defend ourselves.”
The National Coalition Party declined to confirm Ekpa’s membership. NCP Secretary Timo Elo stated, “We never say who is and who isn’t our member. That is confidential information.” Elo added that if an NCP member were suspected of terrorism offenses, it would likely result in expulsion. Ekpa’s position on Lahti’s public transport commission would also require local reassessment.
Ekpa’s detention marks an intensification of Finnish authorities’ efforts to address suspected terrorism-related activities with global ramifications. The ongoing investigation seeks to unravel a network of suspects linked to violent separatist movements.
