Simon Ekpa, a Biafran separatist campaigner, has appealed a six-year prison sentence in Finland for terrorism-related offenses.
Ekpa, who was convicted by the Päijät-Häme District Court, is appealing the judgment to the Finnish Court of Appeal, it was reported, with the hearing expected to take place in the next three weeks.
But the Finnish prosecutor in the case has also lodged an appeal, arguing the sentence handed down to the Nigerian-born separatist leader was too lenient for the crimes he was convicted of.
In November 2024, Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa after investigations into his activities and alleged links to violent separatist activities in Nigeria’s Southeast.
He was subsequently prosecuted on charges bordering on incitement to terrorism and participation in the activities of a terrorist organization.
In September 2025, the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced him to six years in prison.
BBC Pidgin reports that the prosecution is now pushing for a harsher sentence and Ekpa is urging the appellate court to either overturn or lessen the punishment.
The Finnish court found in its judgment that Ekpa used his significant presence on social media to promote activities that increased tensions in Nigeria’s Southeast.
The court said the separatist campaigner had used his “substantial social media following” to stoke tensions in the region from August 2021 to November 2024.
Ekpa was described in the judgment as an influential figure of a militant separatist group that was trying to set up an independent Biafra state from Nigeria.
The court also found that he had helped some groups with contacts in the region to get weapons, explosives and ammunition.
He also found that Ekpa “urged his followers on 𝕏 to commit a crime in Nigeria.”
Ekpa’s legal problems in Finland did not end with the terrorism-related charges. The district court also found him guilty of aggravated tax fraud and an offense relating to Finland’s Attorneys Act.
He was convicted after a long investigation of his activities and communications from Finland.
Ekpa describes himself as a disciple of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Federal Government of Nigeria had earlier declared Ekpa a “terrorism financier” in March 2025.
