Nigeria: Simon Ekpa Appeals Six-Year Terrorism Sentence in Finland

Simon Ekpa, the pro-Biafra separatist campaigner, has appealed his six-year prison sentence for terrorism-related offences in Finland.

According to BBC Pidgin, the Finnish prosecutor handling the case has also appealed, seeking a longer prison term on the grounds that the sentence imposed was insufficient for the offences.

The Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case within the next three weeks.

Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and subsequently charged with inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group.

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In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced him to six years in prison after finding him guilty of the offences.

The court said Ekpa had used his "significant social media following" to escalate tensions in Nigeria's South-East between August 2021 and November 2024.

It also found that he was an influential member of a militant separatist movement seeking to establish an independent Biafra state in Nigeria.

According to the court, Ekpa supplied certain groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his network of contacts in the region. It further held that he encouraged his followers on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria.

Ekpa was also convicted of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland's Attorneys Act.

The convicted separatist campaigner has described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In March 2025, the Federal Government designated Ekpa a "terrorism financier."