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Pro-Biafra separatist campaigner Simon Ekpa has appealed his six-year prison sentence for terrorism-related offences in Finland, while the Finnish prosecutor has also challenged the punishment, seeking a longer jail term.
According to BBC Pidgin, the prosecutor argued that the sentence imposed on Ekpa was insufficient for the offences for which he was convicted.
The Finnish Court of Appeal is expected to consider the case within the next three weeks, with both Ekpa’s appeal and the prosecution’s request for a stiffer sentence now before the appellate court.
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and later 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 terrorism-related offences.
The court found that Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to escalate tensions in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024.
It also ruled that he was an influential member of a militant separatist movement seeking to establish an independent Biafra state in Nigeria.
According to the Finnish court, Ekpa supplied weapons, explosives and ammunition to certain groups through his network of contacts in the region and encouraged followers on X, formerly Twitter, to commit crimes in Nigeria.
Beyond the terrorism convictions, Ekpa was also convicted of aggravated tax fraud and violating provisions of Finland’s Attorneys Act.
The convicted separatist campaigner has described himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
In March 2025, the Federal Government designated Ekpa a “terrorism financier”.
The latest appeals mean the six-year sentence remains subject to review, with Ekpa seeking to overturn or reduce the punishment while the prosecution is asking the Finnish appellate court to impose a longer prison term.
