Nigeria: Simon Ekpa Appeals Six-Year Terrorism Sentence in Finland

Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafra separatist, has filed an appeal against his six-year prison sentence in Finland for terrorism-related offenses. The Finnish prosecutor has also requested a more severe punishment, claiming the initial term was inadequate. The Finnish Court of Appeal is scheduled to review the case in the coming weeks. Ekpa was apprehended by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and charged with inciting terrorism and involvement in a terrorist group.

In September 2025, he was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of inciting violence in Nigeria's South-East region between August 2021 and November 2024. The court determined that Ekpa had a substantial social media presence and was a prominent member of a separatist movement striving for an independent Biafra state in Nigeria.

He allegedly supplied weapons, explosives, and ammunition to various factions through his network. Additionally, Ekpa encouraged his followers on X (previously Twitter) to engage in criminal activities in Nigeria. He was additionally convicted of tax fraud and violating Finland's Attorneys Act. Describing himself as a follower of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ekpa was designated a terrorism financier by the Federal Government in March 2025.