Finnish court reduces Simon Ekpa’s prison sentence from six to four years

A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of Biafran separatist leader Simon Ekpa from six years to four years while upholding his conviction on terrorism-related charges.

Finnish newspaper Yle reported the development on Thursday, noting that the appeal court upheld the decision of the Päijät-Häme District Court, which found Ekpa guilty last year.

The charges were linked to his alleged activities aimed at re-establishing an independent state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria.

In its earlier verdict, the district court said Ekpa had used his substantial social media following to fuel tensions in the region between August 2021 and November 2024.

Ekpa subsequently appealed the conviction and sentence, asking the court to overturn the ruling. The prosecutor also appealed, arguing that the original six-year prison term did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offences.

In its ruling, the Court of Appeal found Ekpa guilty of the same offences but reduced his sentence after considering the circumstances surrounding his actions.

The court noted that the situation in the Biafran region closely resembled a civil war but did not meet the legal definition of one.

Ekpa had argued that his involvement was not motivated by terrorist intent, pointing to the political turmoil in the region.

Despite the reduced sentence, the appeal court upheld his conviction.