According to court documents shared with BBC News Pidgin by his lawyer, the judges ruled that Ekpa sought to advance the independence of the self-proclaimed Biafra republic in southeastern Nigeria through unlawful means.

The Päijät-Häme District Court held that Ekpa, who holds Finnish citizenship, provided weapons and explosives to armed groups via his network of contacts. The ruling was delivered by a three-judge panel in a unanimous decision.

Ekpa, once a councilor in the Finnish city of Lahti, denied all allegations during the trial.