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Finnish Court of Appeal upholds Simon Ekpa’s conviction for participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.
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Court reduces his six-year prison sentence to four years, citing circumstances surrounding the conflict and violence in southeastern Nigeria.
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Ekpa’s claim that his activities were not driven by terrorist intent fails to overturn his conviction, while the prosecution’s bid for a tougher sentence is also rejected.
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The ruling is not yet final, as Ekpa can still seek permission to appeal to Finland’s Supreme Court.
October 15, (THEWILL) – The Finnish Court of Appeal has upheld the terrorism-related conviction of pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa but reduced his prison sentence from six years to four years, dealing a fresh blow to his bid to overturn his conviction over activities linked to the separatist campaign in southeastern Nigeria.
The appellate court upheld the earlier finding by the Päijät-Häme District Court that Ekpa participated in a terrorist organisation and publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes.
However, after considering the circumstances surrounding his activities, the court reduced the six-year sentence imposed in September 2025 to four years.
The ruling means that although Ekpa secured a reduction in his prison term, the central terrorism convictions against him remain intact.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, the Court of Appeal considered the circumstances in southeastern Nigeria during the period covered by the charges, noting that the situation closely resembled a civil war, although it did not legally meet the definition of one.
Ekpa had argued during the appeal that his involvement in the political and security crisis in southeastern Nigeria was not motivated by terrorist intent.
The prosecution had also appealed the original judgment, arguing that the six-year sentence did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offences.
In its ruling, the appellate court upheld the terrorism conviction and reduced the sentence from 6 to 4 years’ imprisonment.
Conviction Linked to Biafra Campaign
The case centres on Ekpa’s activities between August 2021 and November 2024, when Finnish authorities alleged that he used his significant social media following to escalate tensions and encourage criminal acts in southeastern Nigeria as part of his campaign for an independent Biafran state.
The district court had found that Ekpa participated in a terrorist organisation and publicly incited crimes for terrorist purposes.
The court also found him guilty of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland’s Lawyers Act.
According to the findings in the earlier case, Ekpa had supplied armed groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his network of contacts and encouraged his followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Ekpa denied the allegations during the trial and maintained that his activities were political rather than terrorist in nature..
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Arrest In Finland
Ekpa, who moved from Nigeria to Finland in 2007, was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 following investigations into his alleged involvement in separatist activities linked to violence in southeastern Nigeria
In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court convicted Ekpa and sentenced him to six years in prison.
The court found him guilty of participating in a terrorist organisation and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes.
It also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of the Lawyers Act.
The terrorism-related case focused primarily on his activities between August 2021 and November 2024 and their alleged connection with violence and criminal activity in southeastern Nigeria.
The prosecution argued that Ekpa used his influence to encourage followers and affiliated armed groups to carry out unlawful acts as part of the campaign for Biafran independence.
Ekpa rejected the allegations and maintained his innocence.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
