Simon Ekpa, the pro-Biafra separatist campaigner, has appealed his six-year prison sentence for terrorism offences in Finland.
According to BBC Pidgin, the Finnish prosecutor handling the case has also appealed, arguing that Ekpa should receive a longer prison term because six years is insufficient for the terrorism-related offences.
The Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case within the next three weeks.
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and subsequently 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 of the offences.
The court said Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to fuel tensions in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024.
It described him as an influential member of a militant separatist movement seeking to establish an independent Biafra state in south-eastern Nigeria.
The court also found that Ekpa had supplied some groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition “through his network of contacts in the region”. It further ruled that he had encouraged followers on X to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa was also convicted of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland’s Attorneys Act.
He has described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In March 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria designated Ekpa a “terrorism financier”.
