Supporters of Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, have announced plans to challenge his six-year prison sentence in Finland.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement on Friday, the Acting Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), Ogechukwu Nkere, alleged that the ruling was influenced by pressure from the Nigerian government, describing it as “biased and politically motivated.”
Ekpa was sentenced on September 1, 2025, by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland after being convicted of terrorism-related offences, aggravated tax fraud, and violating Finland’s Lawyers Act. The court ruled that between August 2021 and November 2024, he used his social media platforms to incite crimes with terrorist intent in Nigeria’s South-East while pushing for Biafra’s independence.
The judgment has stirred mixed reactions both in Nigeria and among diaspora communities.
Nkere rejected the court’s findings, insisting that Ekpa’s prosecution was tied to his advocacy for Biafra. He argued that the claim that Ekpa supplied weapons, explosives, and ammunition to armed groups was “unsubstantiated” and driven by Nigeria’s lobbying efforts.
“Where in this 21st century has a call for Biafran independence become a terrorist act?” Nkere asked. “Finland’s assertion that our Prime Minister equipped groups with weapons and ammunition is unsubstantiated and reflects political pressure from the Nigerian government.”
Nkere further said BRGIE would intensify international lobbying, particularly in Washington, D.C., to draw global attention to the Biafran cause. He described Ekpa’s conviction as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent.
The group also urged Biafrans worldwide to remain resolute, framing the case as evidence that their agitation for self-determination was gaining international recognition.
