A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of pro-Biafran separatist agitator, Simon Ekpa, from six years to four years while affirming his conviction on terrorism-related offences.
Finnish public broadcaster, Yle, reported on Thursday that the appellate court upheld the ruling of the Päijät-Häme District Court, which found Ekpa guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.
The report read, “Ekpa, who moved to Finland from his native Nigeria in 2007, was found by the district court to have participated in a terrorist organisation and to have publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes.
“The charges related to Ekpa’s alleged activities aimed at re-establishing an independent state in the Biafra region of southeastern Nigeria, which was briefly independent in the late 1960s.”
According to Yle, the appellate court lowered the sentence after assessing the circumstances surrounding Ekpa’s activities. The court reportedly observed that the situation in south-eastern Nigeria’s Biafra region bore a close resemblance to a civil war, although it did not satisfy the legal definition of one.
During the appeal, Ekpa maintained that his involvement in the political crisis in the region was not motivated by terrorist intentions.
The prosecution had also challenged the initial judgment, arguing that the six-year prison sentence was insufficient in view of the gravity of the offences committed.
However, the latest ruling remains subject to further appeal, as the parties can still seek a review by a higher court.
The case centres on Ekpa’s activities between August 2021 and November 2024. The district court had found that he leveraged his substantial social media following to intensify tensions in the Biafra region as part of efforts to establish an independent state in south-eastern Nigeria.
Ekpa, who relocated from Nigeria to Finland in 2007, is a long-term resident of Lahti. He previously served as a councillor in the Finnish city, representing the National Coalition Party.
The latest development follows his conviction in September 2025, when the Päijät-Häme District Court handed him a six-year prison sentence for terrorism-related offences and other crimes.
The PUNCH reported that the court convicted him of participating in a terrorist organisation, inciting crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of the Lawyers Act.
The court also found that Ekpa had facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives and ammunition to armed groups through his network of contacts. It further held that he had encouraged his followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa denied the allegations during his trial.
His arrest in Finland in November 2024 came after investigations into alleged separatist activities connected to the campaign for an independent Biafran state.
Biafra, located in south-eastern Nigeria, declared independence in 1967, prompting a civil war that continued until 1970, when the secessionist movement was defeated.
