Simon Ekpa Appeals Six-Year Finland Jail Sentence

Pro-Biafra campaigner Simon Ekpa has appealed his six-year prison sentence for terrorism-related offences in Finland.

The Finnish prosecutor handling the case has also appealed, arguing that the sentence was too short for the offences. The Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case within the next three weeks.

Ekpa was arrested in November 2024 and charged with inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced him to six years in prison after finding him guilty.

Simon Ekpa Appeals Six-Year Finland Jail Sentence (NewsCentral TV) — Simon Ekpa. Credit: TheCable.

The court said Ekpa used his “significant social media following” to increase tensions in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024. It also found that he was an influential member of a militant separatist movement seeking an independent Biafra state.

According to the court, Ekpa supplied some groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his contacts in the region.

The court also said he encouraged followers on X to commit crimes in Nigeria. Ekpa was additionally convicted of aggravated tax fraud and violating Finland’s Attorneys Act.

He has described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In March 2025, the Nigerian Government designated Ekpa a “terrorism financier.”

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