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The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has distanced itself from Finland-based separatist agitator, Mazi Simon Ekpa, insisting that he has never been a member of the movement.
Reacting to Ekpa’s recent sentencing in Finland for terrorism-related activities, IPOB said any attempt to associate him with the group was misleading.
IPOB is seeking the secession of the five states and some parts of South South from Nigeria. The group is agitating for an independent nation called Biafra.
IPOB has been linked to deadly attacks in Nigeria’s Southeast. But the group has repeatedly denied being responsible for the attacks.
Mr Ekpa convicted
Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday sentenced Mr Ekpa to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related charges.
Mr Ekpa is the self acclaimed prime minister of the Biafran Government In Exile (BRGIE), an auto pilot faction of the IPOB.
The court ruled that Ekpa had participated in a terrorist organisation and had publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes.
The charges relate to Ekpa’s alleged activities aimed at re-establishing an independent state in the Biafra region of southeastern Nigeria, which was briefly independent in the late 1960s.
In its verdict, the court said that Ekpa had used his significant social media following to stoke tensions in the Biafra region between August 2021 and November 2024.
It added that Ekpa was an influential member of a Biafran separatist movement, which established armed groups aimed at bringing about Biafran independence by force.
The district court’s ruling further noted that Ekpa had supplied these groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his network of contacts in the region, and he was also found to have encouraged his followers on social media platform X to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa, a long-term resident of Lahti and one-time local councillor, committed these crimes from the Finnish city, the verdict added, meaning the Finnish court had jurisdiction in the case.
Ekpa had denied all the charges in court. Born in Biafra, he moved to Finland in 2007 as an athlete.
The court on Monday also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud.
The district court’s verdict is not final, meaning it can be appealed to a higher court.
His arrest
In November 2024, the Finnish government arrested Mr Ekpa on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing.
He was accused of using social media to incite violence and causing unrest in the South-east region, as part of his secessionist agitation for Biafra.
According to the prosecutors who are demanding a six-year prison sentence for Mr. Ekpa, his activities may constitute terrorism under Finnish law.
During interrogations, Mr. Ekpa denied ordering weapons for pro-Biafra groups and other allegations against him.
Outlawed group reacts
In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, IPOB said the issue of Ekpa’s membership status had already been clarified in Finland.
“The record is clear. IPOB, under oath in a Finnish court, testified that Simon Ekpa has never held any position in IPOB or ESN. Ekpa himself, under oath, described himself merely as a content creator and admitted he disowned IPOB,” the statement read.
The group emphasized that it remains a nonviolent organization, registered under international law and committed to lawful self-determination. It further stated that Ekpa had created parallel groups and initiatives that were not recognized by IPOB.
IPOB also stressed that its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is facing trial in Nigeria and urged that his case be treated fairly and in line with international standards.
The statement called on the international community, including the European Union, Finland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the United Nations, to ensure that judicial processes concerning Kanu are not influenced by unrelated cases.
“The Finnish court has already clarified that IPOB is not linked to Simon Ekpa, and we expect that this should not be misrepresented,” IPOB added.
