Terrorism Charges: Prosecutor Seeks Six-Year Jail Term For Simon Ekpa

• As legal fireworks begin in Finland

The Finnish Prosecutor is demanding a minimum sentence of six years imprisonment as the terrorism trial of Simon Ekpa, a municipal politician in Lahti, began on Friday at the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland.

A former athlete who arrived in Finland in 2007, Ekpa has been active in local politics as a member of the National Coalition Party (NCP) and served on Lahti’s Public Transport Board (LPTB).

He is currently facing multiple terrorism-related charges, including participating in a terrorist group and public incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes.

The case marks the first time in Finnish legal history that such charges have been brought forward under this criminal framework.

Originally from Nigeria’s South-Eastern geo-political zone, Ekpa, who has been living in Finland since 2007, is accused of using his public platforms and writings to encourage violent activities linked to the Biafran separatist movement in Nigeria.

According to Sampsa Hakala, the State Prosecutor, Ekpa’s main objectives are to instill fear among the population in Nigeria’s South-East zone and also unlawfully pressure the Nigerian government into withdrawing security forces from the region.

Hakala told Finland’s public broadcaster, Yle, before the court session that; “We have a lot of evidence of this person’s activities online and his communications. It paints a pretty clear picture of what we believe happened.”

Also in court, Hakala alleged that Ekpa has been coordinating Biafra’s activities from Finland, ordering weapons for armed groups operating in Nigeria.

Among the charges against Ekpa are three alternative indictments under varying legal classifications related to terrorist involvement.

Besides the terrorism charges, Ekpa is facing accusations of aggravated tax fraud and violations of Finland’s Attorneys Act, which are expected to be heard after the Mid-summer holiday.

Meanwhile, Ekpa has, through his defence Counsel, Kaarle Gummerus, denied all charges brought against him.

Gummerus said the trial would need to address whether his client had any real involvement in violent activities in Biafra, even as he also raised concerns about the reliability of information originating from Nigeria.

Maintaining that his client, Ekpa completely rejects the terrorism allegations, Gummerus said; “The central question is whether my client was in any way involved in, or directing, the acts that occurred in the Biafra region.”

Friday’s court proceedings included a preliminary hearing in the morning, followed by the presentation of evidence in the afternoon, where the prosecution introduced social media messages Ekpa allegedly posted on platform X (formerly Twitter).

For now, the court has reserved several days to entertain main hearing in the case.

The outcome of the trial could have far-reaching implications, not just for Finnish legal precedent, but also for international cooperation in addressing transnational terrorism and online incitement.