Pro-Biafra separatist campaigner Simon Ekpa is challenging the six-year prison sentence imposed on him by a Finnish court over terrorism-related offences, with the case now moving to the country’s Court of Appeal.
The Finnish prosecutor handling the case has also filed an appeal, arguing that the sentence is too lenient and should be increased. The Court of Appeal is expected to consider both appeals within the next three weeks, according to BBC Pidgin.
Ekpa’s appeal comes after the Päijät-Häme District Court convicted him in September 2025 following proceedings over activities allegedly carried out through his social media platforms and networks.
Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in November 2024 and brought charges against him that included incitement to terrorism and participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation.
The district court subsequently found him guilty and sentenced him to six years in prison. The ruling focused largely on his activities between August 2021 and November 2024, when prosecutors said he used his significant online following to influence events in Nigeria’s South-East.
According to the court, Ekpa played an influential role in a militant separatist movement campaigning for the establishment of an independent Biafra.
The court also found that he facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives and ammunition to groups in Nigeria through his network. It further ruled that he used X, formerly known as Twitter, to encourage followers to commit crimes in Nigeria.
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The allegations against Ekpa have attracted significant attention in both Finland and Nigeria because of the wider security situation in Nigeria’s South-East, where separatist-related violence and criminal activity have remained a major concern.
Beyond the terrorism-related convictions, the Finnish court also found Ekpa guilty of aggravated tax fraud and an offence under Finland’s Attorneys Act.
The latest legal development means that both Ekpa and the prosecution are seeking changes to the district court’s decision. Ekpa’s appeal challenges the punishment imposed on him, while the Finnish prosecutor is seeking a harsher sentence.
The Court of Appeal will therefore have to examine the arguments from both sides before deciding whether to uphold the existing sentence, alter it or take another legal position.
Ekpa has previously described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, an organization that campaigns for an independent Biafran state.
The Nigerian Federal Government designated Ekpa as a “terrorism financier” in March 2025, further escalating scrutiny of his activities and alleged connections to separatist violence in the country.
His case has also remained closely watched in Nigeria because of the accusations that his online activities contributed to unrest and insecurity in the South-East.
With both sides now appealing the district court’s decision, the Finnish Court of Appeal is set to determine the next stage of the case.
The proceedings will establish whether Ekpa’s six-year prison term remains in place or whether the sentence is adjusted following consideration of the appeals.
The Conclave
