The Court of Appeal upholds terrorism convictions but reduces the Nigerian-born separatist’s prison sentence after reviewing circumstances surrounding the conflict in south-east Nigeria.
A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of Biafra separatist agitator Simon Ekpa from six years to four years, while upholding his convictions for terrorism-related offences.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, 15 October 2026, followed appeals against a September 2025 judgment by the Päijät-Häme District Court, which sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison. Prosecutors had also appealed, seeking a harsher sentence. Source: Yle News
The appeal court upheld the findings that Ekpa participated in the activities of a terrorist organisation and publicly incited people to commit crimes for terrorist purposes.
However, the judges reduced his sentence after considering circumstances surrounding the offences, including evidence relating to the security situation in south-east Nigeria.
Why the court reduced his sentence
During the appeal, Ekpa argued that the violence in south-east Nigeria amounted to an internal armed conflict and that international humanitarian law, rather than Finland’s domestic terrorism legislation, should apply to his activities.
The court considered evidence concerning the nature of the conflict, the organisation of armed groups and the intensity of the fighting.
Although the judges acknowledged indications of an internal armed conflict, they concluded that the violence did not meet the legal threshold for classification as a civil war.
The court rejected Ekpa’s argument that the circumstances removed the terrorist intent from his actions. Nevertheless, it considered those circumstances relevant when determining the appropriate punishment, leading to the reduction of his prison term. Source: Channels Television
Arrest and original conviction
Ekpa, 41, has been in Finnish custody since his arrest in November 2024. He had been accused of using his base in Finland and his social media influence to support efforts to establish an independent Biafran state in south-east Nigeria.
The prosecution alleged that he was involved in the activities of armed groups accused of carrying out attacks on police stations, government buildings and security checkpoints.
The original district court convicted him in September 2025, imposing a six-year prison sentence. The appeal court has now maintained the central terrorism-related convictions while reducing the term to four years.
What happens next?
The reduced sentence represents a partial victory for Ekpa on the question of punishment, but it does not overturn his terrorism-related convictions.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, the appeal court’s ruling is not yet final and may be challenged before a higher court.
The decision is likely to draw renewed attention in Nigeria, particularly in the south-east, where the campaign for an independent Biafran state and the violence associated with separatist armed groups have remained contentious issues.
The key distinction is clear: Ekpa’s prison term has been reduced, but his terrorism-related convictions remain in place.
