The terrorism trial of Simon Ekpa, a municipal politician in Lahti, has commenced.
Ekpa faced first trial session on Friday at the Päijät-Häme District Court.
He could face at least six years in jail, according to the demands of the Finnish prosecutor.
Charges against Ekpa include terrorism-related charges, 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.
According to the prosecution, Ekpa used his public platforms and writings to encourage violent activities linked to the Biafran separatist movement in Nigeria.
State Prosecutor Sampsa Hakala stated that Ekpa’s goal was to instill fear among the population in Nigeria’s southeastern region and to unlawfully pressure the Nigerian government into withdrawing security forces from the area.
“We have a lot of evidence of this person’s activities online and his communications,” Hakala told Finland’s public broadcaster Yle before the court session. “It paints a pretty clear picture of what we believe happened.”
In court, the prosecutor further alleged that Ekpa coordinated from Finland, ordering weapons for armed groups operating in Nigeria. These charges include three alternative indictments under varying legal classifications related to terrorist involvement.
However, Ekpa has denied all charges.
His defense lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, emphasized that the trial would need to address whether his client had any real involvement in violent activities in Biafra. He also raised concerns about the reliability of information originating from Nigeria.
“The central question is whether my client was in any way involved in, or directing, the acts that occurred in the Biafra region,” Gummerus said, reiterating that Ekpa completely rejects the terrorism allegations.
In addition to the terrorism charges, Ekpa faces accusations of aggravated tax fraud and violations of Finland’s Attorneys Act, which are expected to be heard after the Midsummer holiday.
Ekpa, who started his campaign as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s disciple came to limelight after Kanu was arrested and he took over as the second-in-command.
From his Finland base, he was coordinating the activities of the IPOB group, and later announced his emergence as the Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic in Exile.