Finnish Court Rejects Simon Ekpa’s Appeal, Reduces Prison Term

Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of pro-Biafran campaigner Simon Ekpa from six years to four years while upholding his convictions on terrorism-related charges.

According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, the appeal court upheld the decision of the Päijät-Häme District Court, which found Ekpa guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.

The court reduced his sentence after considering the circumstances surrounding his activities, noting that the situation in south-eastern Nigeria closely resembled a civil war but did not meet the legal definition of one.

Ekpa had argued during the appeal that his involvement in the region’s political turmoil was not motivated by terrorist intent. The prosecutor also challenged the original judgment, arguing that the six-year prison term did not adequately reflect the seriousness of his offences.

However, the appeal court maintained Ekpa’s convictions for the two terrorism-related offences.

The ruling is not final and can still be challenged before a higher court.

The case relates to Ekpa’s activities between August 2021 and November 2024, when the district court found that he had used his substantial social media following to fuel tensions in the Biafra region as part of efforts to establish an independent state in south-eastern Nigeria.

Ekpa moved from Nigeria to Finland in 2007 and is a long-term resident of Lahti. He previously served on the Finnish city’s council, representing the National Coalition Party.

His latest legal setback follows his conviction in September 2025, when the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced him to six years in prison for terrorism-related offences and other crimes.

The district court found him guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and inciting crimes for terrorist purposes. It also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of the Lawyers Act.

The court further found that Ekpa had supplied armed groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his network of contacts and encouraged followers on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria.

Ekpa denied the charges during his trial.

His arrest in Finland in November 2024 followed investigations into alleged separatist activities linked to efforts to establish an independent Biafran state.

Biafra, in south-eastern Nigeria, declared independence in 1967, triggering a civil war that lasted until 1970, when the secessionist bid ended.

The appeal court’s decision leaves Ekpa’s terrorism-related convictions intact but reduces the length of his prison sentence by two years.