Simon Ekpa’s Jail Term Reduced To Four Years By Finnish Appeal Court

By Ayodele Oni

In a ruling which offered some relief to Biafran separatist leader, Simon Ekpa, a Finnish appeal court has reduced the prison sentence from six years to four.

 Finnish newspaper Yle disclosed this in a report on Thursday.

However, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Päijät-Häme District Court, which found Ekpa guilty of terrorism-related charges last year.

The charges were related to Ekpa’s alleged activities aimed at re-establishing an independent state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria.

Ekpa subsequently appealed the ruling, seeking to have his conviction and sentence overturned.

The Court of Appeal found Ekpa guilty of the same offences, but reduced his prison term after considering the circumstances surrounding his actions.

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

Ekpa had told the court that his involvement was not motivated by terrorist intent, citing the political turmoil in the Biafran region.

The prosecutor in the case has also appealed the district court’s decision, arguing that the prison sentence did not reflect the seriousness of Ekpa’s offences.

Ekpa was first convicted by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on September 1, 2025, where he received a six-year prison sentence for terrorism-related offences, public incitement, aggravated tax fraud, and violating the Lawyers Act.