FG Eyes Repatriation of Simon Ekpa Following Finnish Terrorism Conviction

The Federal Government of Nigeria is considering the repatriation of Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish citizen, following his recent conviction and six-year prison sentence in Finland for terrorism-related offenses.

On Monday, the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland found Ekpa guilty of multiple charges, including participating in the activities of a terrorist group, public incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act. The court determined that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa promoted the independence of southeastern Nigeria through illegal means, organized armed groups classified as terrorist organizations, supplied them with weapons and explosives, and encouraged his followers on social media to commit violent crimes in Nigeria [1] .

Reacting to the development, Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described the conviction