A Finnish court has sentenced a self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, to a six-year jail term after finding him guilty of terrorism-related offenses.
The ruling, delivered after months of legal proceedings, marks one of the most significant international crackdowns on cross-border incitement to violence in recent years.
The court held on Monday that Ekpa systematically used social media and online broadcasts to encourage violent acts, fueling unrest far beyond Finland.
Judges said his online activities were not only persistent but deliberately aimed at sparking attacks that threatened lives and property.
According to details released by Finnish authorities, Ekpa was arrested on November 21, 2024, after a lengthy probe by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The investigation revealed a three-year pattern of online agitation, with messages calling for violence between August 2021 and November 2024.
The Päijät-Häme District Court ruled that the offenses constituted “public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent,” citing multiple incidents where his broadcasts directly inspired violent actions.
“The evidence clearly shows that these were not careless statements; they were calculated efforts to provoke bloodshed,” the court said in its judgment.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered a freeze on Ekpa’s assets, as well as those linked to his associates and companies connected to his network, in a bid to halt the financing of any further violent campaigns.
Finnish investigators stressed that the case serves as a warning to others using the internet to spread extremist propaganda.
“This verdict confirms that orchestrating violence, even from outside the affected region, carries serious legal consequences,” an NBI spokesperson said.
