The convicted and self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Government in Exile, Mr. Simon Ekpa, has appealed his terrorism conviction and six-year prison sentence in Finland.
BBC Pidgin reports that the Finnish prosecutor in charge of the case has also appealed, seeking a longer prison term for Ekpa on the grounds that the six-year sentence imposed by the district court was not enough for the terrorism offences.
Diaspora Digital Media gathered that the Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to hear the case within the next three weeks.
Ekpa was taken into custody 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 Nigerian Federal Government designated Ekpa a “terrorism financier”.
