A court in Finland has sentenced a controversial leader of a Nigerian secessionist movement to six years in prison after convicting him of terrorism-related offences.
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian origin, "attempted to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in south-eastern Nigeria by illegal means", according to court documents made available to BBC News Pidgin by his lawyer.
He also equipped armed groups with weapons and explosives through his network of contacts, the Päijät-Häme District Court ruled, in a unanimous verdict handed down by a panel of three judges.
Ekpa, a former councillor in Finland's Lahti city, denied the charges.
Parts of south-eastern Nigeria have been hit by instability for years because of the conflict between a secessionist movement, the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), and the security forces.
