FG Declares Simon Ekpa, 16 Others as T+rror+sm Financiers, Orders Account Freeze

The Nigerian Sanctions Committee (NSC) has officially designated Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra agitator, along with 16 other individuals and entities, as alleged t+rror+sm financiers.

The decision was announced after a high-level meeting in Abuja on Thursday. The NSC, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, is responsible for enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) on targeted financial sanctions.

Following the designation, financial institutions across the country have been directed to immediately freeze all funds, assets, and economic resources linked to the named individuals and entities without prior notice and report any such actions to the NSC secretariat. They are also required to file suspicious transaction reports with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) for further analysis.

Among those listed is Simon Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Ekpa was arrested in Finland in November 2024 on charges of spreading t+rror+st propaganda via social media. He remains in custody, with his trial set to begin in May 2025.