Simon Ekpa chop six years for Finland prison for terrorism crimes

Di Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday 1 September sentence Simon Ekpa to six years for prison sake of terrorism offences, among oda tins, according to court document wey di district secretary Ulla Ristola send to BBC News Pidgin.

According to di court document, di 40-year-old former Lahti municipal politician bin participate for activities of terrorist group, incite di public to commit crime for terrorist purposes, engage for aggravated tax fraud and violate for di provisions of di Lawyers Act.

Dem order Ekpa to remain for custody.

For di terrorism offences, court say Ekpa bin attempt to promote di independence of di so-called Biafra region for south-eastern Nigeria by illegal means between August 2021 and November 2024.

"E bin use social media to gain politically influential position and take advantage of di confusion for key separatist movement for Nigeria to take a significant role inside am," di court document tok.

Ekpa bin deny all di accuse.

Court also find out say Ekpa bin found and develop di "activities of di separatist movement into increasingly organised form, togeda wit odas".

Armed groups bin also dey established under di movement, wey di district court considered to be terrorist groups.

"Ekpa bin equip di groups wit weapons, explosives and ammunition through im contact network.

"E also dey considered urge and entice im X-account followers to commit crimes for Nigeria."

Di district court bin do di main hearing from 30 May to 25 June 2025 (12 session days).

Na panel of three judges hear and decide di case and all of dem dey on di same page for dia decision.

Nigeria govment commend Finland ova Simon Ekpa sentencing

Nigeria govment don welcome di landmark judgment of di Päijät-Häme District Court for Finland, wey sentence Ekpa to six years imprisonment.

Di Minister of Information Mohammed Idris for one statement say di ruling stand as a watershed moment, no be only for di countless innocent Nigerians wey dia lives and livelihoods don spoil by di reign of terror wey Ekpa and im collaborators incite and finance, but also for di strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Finland.

"By upholding di rule of law and to ensure say justice dey served, di Finnish judiciary no only vindicate Nigeria consistent position on dis mata, but dem also send clear signal to extremists evriwia say di world dey watch, and justice go catch up wit dose wey dey try destabilise societies through terror," di minister add.

"Di Tinubu administration remain unshakable for dia resolve to defend Nigeria sovereignty and protect di dignity of evri citizen. We go continue to mobilise evri resource, diplomatic, military, and judicial, to preserve di peace, unity, and territorial integrity of our kontri."

Di govment ask dose wey dey under di misguidance of Simon Ekpa and odas, wey don take up arms against dia fatherland to immediately lay dem down and embrace di path of peace.

"Nigeria dey big enough for all im pipo but progress no fit dey wia violence and division prevail," Idris tok.

Brief background of di tori

Na for December 2024 Finland authorities gbab Simon Ekpa on charges of alleged terrorist activities.

Di District Court of Päijät-Häme send Ekpa, wey be Lahti-Nigerian municipal politician, go prison on probable cause and on suspicion of publicly inciting pipo to commit crime wit terrorist intent.

Di court say Simon Ekpa dey allegedly spread separatist propaganda on social media.

Di suspected time of di crime wey dem charge am for na 23 August 2021 and di place na Lahti.

In addition to Ekpa, di Finnish National Bureau of Investigation also demand arrest of four oda men on suspicion of terrorist offences but dem don drop di charges against dose ones sake of lack of evidence.

Who be Simon Ekpa?

Simon Ekpa, wey come from Ebonyi State for southeast Nigeria, bin start out as athlete wey specialise for 100m sprint.

E bin represent Nigeria for di 2003 Africa U20 Championships wia e bin compete for di 100m, triple jump and long jump. E win silver for di triple jump events.

Na im talent for athletics carry am comot for Nigeria and e later naturalise for Finland and represent di kontri for international tournaments for 2009.

However, e get one bad knee injury wey end im career as sprint racer.

For Finland, Ekpa settle for Lahti city, marry one Finnish woman Marianne Säkäjärvi and di two bin born one male child bifor dem later separate.

Simon Ekpa later join local politics and even win position for Lahti Municipal Council as member of di National Coalition Party (NCP) wey be di current ruling party for Finland.

Ekpa na popular supporter and disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, di leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob). Dia mission na to pull out di south-eastern region of Nigeria to become dia own independent kontri wey di name go be Biafra, but di Nigeria govment don tag dem as terrorist organisation.

Na Kanu bin boost Ekpa popularity afta e tell im followers make dem dey listen to am. And wen Nigeria govment arrest Kanu for 2021, e appoint Ekpa as di pesin wey go continue dey broadcast to Ipob supporters on top Radio Biafra.

However, Ekpa and di oda Ipob oga dem later quarrel as Kanu imsef still dey for detention, and e pull out of Ipob to start im own group wey e call 'Auto Pilot'.

Dis Auto-Pilot wey many of dem na Ipob members, continue to dey spread dia secessionist message on top social media.

Expa no qualify to represent pesin for court

Di court for Finland also find Ekpa guilty of "violating di provisions of di Lawyers Act". Dis na sake of say e bin dey offer legal services to immigrants wey dey look for asylum for di kontri.

Ekpa bin set up one law firm - Ekpa & Co Oy - for 2015 and dia services include criminal cases, family and child rights, litigation, translation services and oda legal consultations.

But wetin pipo no know be say Ekpa imsef no get licence to represent anybodi for court for Finland, instead, na im ex-wife, Marianne Säkäjärvi, be di true lawyer and na she dey handle most of di cases, according to investigation by local tori pipo for Finland.

E later tell tori pipo say im get Master of Laws degree for human rights and human rights jurisprudence from Aberystwyth University through distant learning, but e admit say di degree no qualify am to represent pesin for court as lawyer.