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AI-generated image falsely depicts Simon Ekpa celebrating in court

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
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Screenshot of the viral post

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AN X user, @UgoJustrealugo, has posted an image claiming to show Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), raising his hands in victory during a recent court appearance in Finland.

The image shows Ekpa standing in what appears to be a courtroom with both hands raised. The X user shared the image with the caption:

“A powerful courtroom moment, capturing emotion and the belief that justice has prevailed.”

The post has generated over 80 reposts and more than 400 likes as of August 7, 2026.

CLAIM

An image shows Simon Ekpa raising his hands in victory during his recent court appearance in Finland.

Screenshot of the viral post

FINDINGS

Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.

Simon Ekpa is the self-acclaimed prime minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, an Autopilot faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He was arrested in Finland in November 2024 over allegations relating to terrorism and incitement in Nigeria’s South-East.

Following a four-month trial, a Finnish court sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison in September 2025 for terrorism-related offences and ordered the confiscation of his assets. Ekpa has repeatedly denied sponsoring terrorism.

Result from Is it AI detection tool

To verify the authenticity of the viral image, The FactCheckHub subjected it to two AI image detection tools.

First, DeepAI’s AI Image Detector returned a 91 per cent probability that the image was AI-generated.

The FactCheckHub also analysed the image using Is It AI, another AI content verification tool. The tool returned a 99 per cent probability that the image was AI-generated.

Further examination of the image shows an indicator at the bottom of the image confirming that it was created with AI.

The FactCheckHub found no credible evidence that the image was taken during Ekpa’s court appearance or that it depicts an actual moment from the proceedings.

VERDICT

The claim that the image shows Simon Ekpa raising his hands in victory during his court appearance is MISLEADING. Analysis of the image shows it is AI-generated.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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