Simon Ekpa’s conviction confirms he committed heinous crimes against the Nigerian people especially - AGF Lateef Fagbemi

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Monday. September 1, welcomed the conviction of Nigerian-born separatist agitator Simon Ekpa by a Finnish court, describing it as confirmation of his complicity in violent crimes in Nigerias South-East region. In a statement, Fagbemi hailed the six-year prison sentence handed down to Ekpa by the Pijt-Hme District Court in Finland, saying it validated Nigerias long-standing position that the self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) played a direct role in fueling insecurity. We receive the good news of the conviction of Simon Ekpa by the Finnish court. His sentencing for terrorism and other related offences is a confirmation that he influenced and committed heinous crimes against the Nigerian people, especially in the South East, the AGF said. Fagbemi commended the Finnish authorities for their cooperation and stressed that the decision represented progress in international collaboration against transnational crimes. We see this as a signal of future partnership and would take appropriate further actions upon receipt and review of the courts judgment, he added. The court found Ekpa, 40, guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. It said he had used his significant social media following to stoke tensions in Nigerias South-East between August 2021 and November 2024. In a unanimous ruling, a three-member panel of judges stated that Ekpa was an influential member of a militant separatist movement pushing for the secession of a Biafran state from Nigeria. The court further ruled that he supplied armed groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his network of contacts and encouraged his followers on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria. Ekpa, a long-term resident of Lahti and former local councillor, was found to have committed the crimes from Finland, giving the court jurisdiction over the case.  The post Simon Ekpas conviction confirms he committed heinous crimes against the Nigerian people especially - AGF Lateef Fagbemi appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.