Finnish court cuts Simon Ekpa’s sentence by two years

A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of Biafran separatist leader Simon Ekpa from six years to four years.

Finnish newspaper Yle reported the development on Thursday.

However, the court upheld Ekpa’s conviction for terrorism related offences, which was handed down by the Päijät-Häme District Court last year.

The charges were linked to his alleged activities aimed at establishing an independent Biafran state in southeastern Nigeria.

In its earlier judgment, the district court said Ekpa used his large social media following to increase tensions in the region between August 2021 and November 2024.

Ekpa appealed the judgment, asking the court to overturn his conviction and prison sentence.

However, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but reduced his jail term after considering the circumstances surrounding his actions.

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

During the proceedings, Ekpa argued that his actions were not motivated by terrorist intentions. He pointed to the political crisis in the Biafran region as part of his defence.

The prosecutor also appealed the district court’s judgment, arguing that the six year sentence was not severe enough considering the seriousness of Ekpa’s offences.

Despite the prosecutor’s appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced Ekpa’s prison term to four years while maintaining his conviction.