By: Gabriel Osa
Simon Ekpa, the pro-Biafra separatist campaigner serving a six-year prison sentence in Finland for terrorism-related offences, is facing the possibility of a longer term after Finnish prosecutors appealed against the sentence imposed by a district court.
Ekpa has also appealed his conviction and six-year sentence, setting up competing appeals before the Finnish Court of Appeal. The appellate court is expected to consider the case within the coming weeks, meaning both Ekpa’s challenge to his conviction and sentence and the prosecution’s demand for a harsher punishment will be examined. The development gives prosecutors an opportunity to argue that the original sentence did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offences for which Ekpa was convicted.
The 41-year-old separatist campaigner was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 following an investigation into alleged terrorism-related activities linked to Nigeria’s south-east. He was subsequently prosecuted in Finland over conduct that prosecutors said involved incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.
In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism-related offences. The court concluded that he had used his significant social-media following to encourage actions and criminal activity connected to his campaign for the independence of a separate Biafran state in south-eastern Nigeria.
The district court’s findings concerned activities carried out between August 2021 and November 2024. Prosecutors had argued that Ekpa played an influential role in a militant separatist movement and used communications from Finland to encourage supporters and contribute to violence and instability in Nigeria.
According to reports on the Finnish proceedings, the court found that Ekpa had participated in the activities of a terrorist group and had incited the public to commit crimes for terrorist purposes. The court also found that he had been involved in activities involving the supply of weapons, explosives and ammunition to groups in Nigeria through his network of contacts.
The prosecution’s case also included financial and professional offences. Ekpa was convicted of aggravated tax fraud and of violating provisions of Finland’s Lawyers Act. The financial offences were separate from the terrorism-related convictions but were considered as part of the overall criminal proceedings against him.
Ekpa has consistently challenged the allegations against him. During the proceedings, he acknowledged establishing the Biafra Republic Government in Exile and serving as its self-described prime minister, but disputed the prosecution’s argument that the organisation’s activities and methods met the legal threshold for terrorism offences. He has now taken his challenge to the appellate stage.
The prosecution has taken the opposite position, arguing that the six-year sentence handed down by the district court was insufficient. The prosecutors are therefore seeking a longer prison term, although reports on the latest appeal have not specified a new number of years being requested.
The competing appeals mean the Court of Appeal could potentially alter the outcome of the lower court proceedings. Ekpa’s appeal seeks to overturn or modify the conviction and sentence, while prosecutors want the punishment increased. The appellate court will ultimately determine whether the district court’s judgment should stand, be modified or be replaced.
The case has attracted considerable attention in Nigeria because of Ekpa’s activities among supporters of the Biafra separatist cause. His broadcasts and social-media communications have been linked by Nigerian authorities and critics to unrest, sit-at-home directives and violence in parts of the south-east.
Ekpa has presented himself as a leading figure in the Biafra independence movement and has operated the Biafra Republic Government in Exile from Finland. His activities have drawn repeated criticism from Nigerian authorities, who have accused him of encouraging violence and disrupting economic and social life in the south-east.
The Finnish proceedings have also become an important international dimension of Nigeria’s attempts to address separatist violence. Because Ekpa was based in Finland, Nigerian authorities could not directly prosecute him there. His arrest and subsequent prosecution by Finnish authorities therefore placed the alleged conduct under the jurisdiction of Finnish courts.
The arrest in November 2024 was welcomed by the Nigerian government. Finnish authorities had previously indicated that the investigation involved international cooperation, reflecting the cross-border nature of the allegations.
The case is also separate from the legal proceedings involving Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra. Although Ekpa has described himself as a disciple of Kanu and has campaigned for Biafra independence, the two men have been involved in separate legal circumstances. Ekpa’s current imprisonment arises from a Finnish criminal case, while Kanu’s legal proceedings have taken place in Nigeria.
Before becoming prominent in the Biafra separatist movement, Ekpa had a background in athletics and politics in Finland. He represented Nigeria at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he competed in sprinting and jumping events and won a silver medal. He later became involved in Finnish local politics before becoming increasingly associated with the Biafra separatist campaign.
His transformation from athlete and local political figure into a prominent separatist campaigner has made his Finnish court case particularly unusual. The proceedings have examined activities allegedly conducted through social media and international networks rather than conventional territorial operations from Finland.
The latest development does not mean that Ekpa has been sentenced to a longer term. The Finnish prosecutor has only asked the appellate court to increase the punishment. Any change to the sentence will depend on the court’s assessment of the evidence, the applicable Finnish criminal law and the arguments presented by both sides.
Similarly, Ekpa’s appeal does not mean that his existing conviction has been overturned. His six-year sentence remains the judgment of the district court unless and until the Court of Appeal reaches a different decision.
The forthcoming appellate proceedings could therefore have significant consequences for Ekpa. If his appeal succeeds, his conviction or sentence could be reduced or otherwise altered. If prosecutors succeed with their appeal, the prison term could be increased. The court could also uphold the existing judgment.
The case comes at a time when Nigeria continues to confront insecurity and political tensions in parts of the south-east. The region has experienced attacks on security personnel, government facilities and other targets, while separatist grievances and counter-insurgency operations have contributed to a prolonged security crisis.
Authorities in Nigeria have repeatedly called for an end to violence and the restoration of normal economic activity in affected communities. Ekpa’s supporters, however, have continued to describe his activities as part of a political campaign for Biafran self-determination.
For now, the Finnish Court of Appeal will determine the next stage of the case. Ekpa is challenging the six-year sentence imposed in 2025, while prosecutors are arguing that the punishment should be more severe.
The outcome will determine whether the existing sentence remains in place, is reduced or is increased. Until the appellate court issues its ruling, the six-year term remains the sentence imposed by the lower court, while the prosecution’s request for a longer term remains an appeal rather than a new sentence.
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