Simon Ekpa challenges six-year terrorism sentence as Finland seeks longer jail term

Simon Ekpa challenges six-year terrorism sentence as Finland seeks longer jail term

Pro-Biafra separatist campaigner Simon Ekpa has appealed his six-year prison sentence for terrorism-related offences in Finland, while Finnish prosecutors have also challenged the sentence and are seeking a longer prison term.

The competing appeals are expected to be considered by the Finnish Court of Appeal, with the case set for hearings over the coming weeks. The prosecution argues that the six-year sentence imposed by the lower court does not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offences for which Ekpa was convicted.

Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 following an investigation into alleged terrorism-related activities linked to his separatist campaign in south-eastern Nigeria.

He was subsequently charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes. Finnish prosecutors alleged that Ekpa used online platforms from Finland to influence events in Nigeria and promote activities connected to the campaign for an independent Biafra.

In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison after finding him guilty of the terrorism-related offences. The court also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland’s Attorneys Act.

The district court found that Ekpa had used his significant social media following to intensify tensions in south-eastern Nigeria between August 2021 and November 2024.

According to the court’s findings, Ekpa was an influential figure in a separatist movement seeking to establish an independent Biafra state and that armed groups linked to the movement were supplied with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his network of contacts.

The court also found that he had encouraged followers on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria.

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Ekpa has denied the allegations and challenged the prosecution’s characterization of his activities. He has maintained that his campaign was political in nature and disputed claims that he personally ordered weapons or commanded armed groups.

Ekpa acknowledged establishing the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) and identifying himself as its leader, but rejected the argument that the organisation’s activities amounted to terrorism under Finnish law.

The Finnish prosecution’s case centred partly on Ekpa’s extensive online activities. Prosecutors argued that he used his social media influence from Finland to encourage actions that contributed to violence and unrest in Nigeria’s South-East.

The appeal now presents two competing challenges to the 2025 judgment. While Ekpa is seeking to overturn his conviction and/or reduce his sentence, Finnish prosecutors are asking the appellate court to impose a longer prison term.

The case has attracted considerable attention in Nigeria because of its connection to the prolonged separatist conflict in the South-East and allegations of violence associated with the wider Biafra separatist movement.

Ekpa has publicly associated himself with the Biafra independence campaign and has described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). However, Ekpa’s relationship with IPOB has been disputed, with the organisation previously distancing itself from claims that he was its leader.

The Federal Government of Nigeria also designated Ekpa a terrorism financier in March 2025, further intensifying the controversy surrounding his activities.

The Finnish case is particularly significant because many of the alleged activities were connected to Nigeria, while Finnish authorities argued that Ekpa coordinated and promoted the activities from Finland through social media and other communication channels.

The Finnish Court of Appeal will now determine whether the district court’s judgment should stand, whether Ekpa’s sentence should be reduced or overturned, or whether the prosecution’s request for a harsher sentence should be granted.

The outcome of the appeal could therefore determine whether Ekpa remains subject to the six-year sentence, receives a reduced punishment or faces a longer period in prison.

Simon Ekpa challenges six-year terrorism sentence as Finland seeks longer jail term