Simon Ekpa heads to Appeal Court over Finland terrorism conviction
Simon Ekpa, the pro-Biafra separatist campaigner, has appealed the six-year prison sentence handed to him by a Finnish court over terrorism-related offences.
The Finnish prosecutor handling the case has also appealed, arguing that the punishment imposed on Ekpa was not sufficient considering the gravity of the offences, according to BBC Pidgin.
The Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case within the next three weeks.
Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in November 2024 before charging him with inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court found him guilty and sentenced him to six years in prison.
The court held that Ekpa had leveraged his “significant social media following” to heighten tensions in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024.
It also described him as an influential figure within a militant separatist movement seeking the establishment of an independent Biafra state in Nigeria.
According to the court, Ekpa used his network of contacts in the region to supply some groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition.
The court further ruled that he encouraged his followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, to carry out crimes in Nigeria.
Beyond the terrorism-related convictions, Ekpa was found guilty of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland’s Attorneys Act.
Ekpa has described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In March 2025, the Nigerian Federal Government designated Ekpa a “terrorism financier.”
