A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of pro-Biafran campaigner Simon Ekpa from six years to four years while upholding his convictions on terrorism-related charges.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, the appeal court upheld the Päijät-Häme District Court’s findings that Ekpa participated in a terrorist organisation and publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes.
The court reduced his sentence after considering the circumstances surrounding his activities, noting that the situation in south-eastern Nigeria closely resembled a civil war but did not meet the legal definition of one.
Ekpa had argued during the appeal that his involvement in the region’s political crisis was not motivated by terrorist intent. The prosecution also challenged the original judgment, arguing that the six-year sentence did not adequately reflect the seriousness of his offences.
However, the appeal court upheld his convictions on both terrorism-related charges, reducing his prison term by two years.
The case concerns Ekpa’s activities between August 2021 and November 2024, during which the district court found that he used his substantial social media following to fuel tensions in the Biafra region as part of efforts to establish an independent state in south-eastern Nigeria.
The district court sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison in September 2025 after finding him guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and inciting crimes for terrorist purposes. He was also convicted of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland’s Lawyers Act.
The court further found that Ekpa supplied armed groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his network of contacts and encouraged followers on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria. Ekpa denied the charges during his trial.
His arrest in Finland in November 2024 followed investigations into alleged separatist activities linked to efforts to establish an independent Biafran state.
Ekpa moved from Nigeria to Finland in 2007 and is a long-term resident of Lahti. He previously served on the city council, representing Finland’s National Coalition Party.
Biafra, in south-eastern Nigeria, declared independence in 1967, triggering a civil war that lasted until 1970, when the secessionist bid ended.
The appeal court’s ruling leaves Ekpa’s terrorism-related convictions intact but reduces his prison sentence from six years to four. The decision is not final and may still be challenged before a higher court.