Self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), Simon Ekpa, has expressed confidence that the six-year prison sentence imposed on him by a Finnish court will eventually be overturned as his appeal progresses.
The appeal hearing was held on Thursday, several months after the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland sentenced Ekpa on September 1, 2025, for terrorism-related offences connected to violent attacks and killings in Nigeria’s South-East region.
Addressing Biafra supporters who attended the hearing, Ekpa insisted that he had been wrongly convicted and maintained that a full examination of the evidence would clear his name.
“I’m very confident that the truth is going to come out. They will know that the wrong person has been imprisoned,” Ekpa told supporters after the proceedings.
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 following investigations into alleged terrorism-related activities linked to unrest in Nigeria’s South-East.
After the investigation, the district court found him guilty of several offences, including participation in a terrorist organisation, public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent, and supplying armed groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his network.
The court also ruled that Ekpa used his social media platforms between August 2021 and November 2024 to encourage violence in Nigeria.
In addition to the terrorism-related convictions, he was found guilty of aggravated tax fraud.
Despite the judgment, Ekpa has consistently denied all the charges and has challenged the conviction through the Finnish appeal process.
During Thursday’s hearing, he reiterated his belief that the legal process would ultimately vindicate him.
“The truth will eventually come to light,” he said, while maintaining that he had been unjustly imprisoned.
The case has attracted significant attention in both Finland and Nigeria because of Ekpa’s prominent role in separatist activities associated with the Biafra agitation in Nigeria’s South-East.
Finnish prosecutors had argued that his activities and online broadcasts contributed to violence in the region, while Ekpa’s defence has maintained that he is being unfairly targeted and that the evidence does not support the terrorism allegations against him.
The appeal court is expected to continue reviewing the case before delivering its final judgment on whether the conviction and sentence should be upheld or set aside.
