One of Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers and human rights activist, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the conviction of Simon Ekpa by a District Court in Finland as a historic lesson against fraud, violence, and deceit.
In a strongly worded statement on Monday, September 1, 2025, Ejiofor said the judgment did not come as a surprise to him, insisting that Ekpa’s fraudulent empire, built on lies and exploitation, was destined to collapse.
“The conviction of Simon Ekpa today by a District Court in Finland does not come to me as a surprise. I have long understood the weight of his infractions, the inherent weakness of his defence, and the inevitable collapse of the fraudulent empire he built on lies, violence, and exploitation,” Ejiofor declared.
Ejiofor recounted how Ekpa, from the onset, attempted to usurp the authority of the Directorate of State (DOS) of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), aided by individuals determined to derail the genuine struggle for self-determination.
“Ekpa’s deadly declarations, recklessly amplified across media platforms, were swallowed hook, line, and sinker by vulnerable and misguided elements,” he said.
According to Ejiofor, Ekpa’s so-called “foot soldiers” would deny links to him or his “Biafra Liberation Army (BLA)” when arrested, instead claiming to be IPOB members — a deception that, he said, gave the Nigerian state excuses to brutalise peaceful agitators and tarnish IPOB’s global reputation.
Ejiofor revealed that he consistently warned against Ekpa’s activities despite being vilified and branded a saboteur.
“He built his criminal empire on deceit, harvesting money from gullible followers while fabricating lies about warships, fighter jets, and dates of ‘Biafra independence’ that never came to pass,” he said.
He lamented that some educated elites defended Ekpa or remained silent out of fear or complicity, while youths in Igbo land paid with their lives.
Ejiofor further noted that IPOB’s leadership under the DOS repeatedly distanced itself from Ekpa’s violent approach but was undermined by covert support from certain individuals who are now calling for his head.
Ejiofor stressed that Ekpa’s conviction in Finland underlines the fact that lies and violence cannot sustain any legitimate struggle.
“It demonstrates that no amount of lies, propaganda, or fraudulent appeals to self-determination can shield a criminal enterprise built on fraud, bloodshed, and deception,” he stated.
He dismissed claims that the conviction upheld Ekpa’s right to self-determination. “That is false. The court never upheld any such right because his trial and conviction was never about his purported right to self-determination; rather, the court convicted him for fraud, deception, and actions that funded violence,” Ejiofor clarified.
Ejiofor condemned the human toll of Ekpa’s actions, noting that many of his misguided followers remain in detention or have been killed.
“The chickens have indeed come home to roost. But what about the thousands of lives wasted as a result of Ekpa’s poisonous preachings? Their parents and families remain in pain,” he said, accusing some lawyers of abandoning victims while secretly hobnobbing with Ekpa.
The lawyer urged Ndigbo to reject criminality, fraud, and emotional manipulation in their pursuit of justice and self-determination.
“It is time for stock-taking. Time to reject criminality, fraud, and blackmail as tools of agitation. Ekpa may be convicted today, but the scars of his deceit and the devastation left behind will take years to cleanse from Ala-Igbo,” Ejiofor declared.
He concluded with a warning: “Let the lesson be clear to all: no legitimate struggle for liberation can be built on deceit, fraud, and violence against one’s own people. Those who still glorify Ekpa or tread his path are not freedom fighters, they are merchants of death.”
Ejiofor prayed for divine guidance, saying: “May Chukwu Okike Abiama, whose holy name has been shamelessly invoked by both the righteous and the fraudulent, deliver our land and guide our people into light, wisdom, and peace.”
