Isaac Samuel
Loyalists of Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, under the auspices of Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE) has vowed to appeal the six-year jail sentence handed to Ekpa, by a Finnish court, alleging that the judgment was influenced by pressure from Nigeria.
Acting Prime Minister of BRGIE, Ogechukwu Nkere, in a statement on Friday, said the verdict reflected the fear of Biafra by both Nigeria and Finland, noting that it as a biased conclusion of judicial authority controlled by pressure from above.
Ekpa was on Monday, September 1, 2025, sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for terrorism-related offences, aggravated tax fraud, and breaching Finland’s Lawyers Act.
The court ruled that he used his social media platforms between August 2021 and November 2024 to incite crimes with terrorist intent in Nigeria’s South-East region while pushing for Biafra’s independence.
The judgment has since attracted mixed reactions within Nigeria and the diaspora.
Nkere, however, faulted the court’s conclusion, insisting that Ekpa was convicted primarily for his social media activities advocating for Biafran independence rooted in decades of marginalisation after Nigeria’s civil war.
The group further disagreed with the Finland court’s position that Ekpa’s online posts were public incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes.
According to the group, the Finnish court’s assertions that Ekpa equipped groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his networks, adding that such a stance lacks circumstantial evidence and the rhetoric is influenced by pressure from the Nigerian government.
The organisation said that it would mount pressure in Washington DC, United States of America, over Biafran independence.
The group said: “Now that Europe understands clearly our case, we shall mount more pressure in Washington, DC. We will appeal this court verdict, and our prime minister will join us later, convicting the Biafra independence icon. Simon Ekpa is guilty of committing terrorism offences because of standing up for the voices of over 80 million Biafrans yearning for Biafra’s independence restoration is a shame to Finland’s integrity.
“BRGIE being the legal entity for biafra independence wishes to tell biafrans globally that we have recorded another victory in european region, if you fight for independence and the country you are fighting against don’t gang up against you or get scared of you then it means you have not started yet.
“Nigeria got scared of biafra independence to the point that they have called on all international communities to stop biafrans abroad from hosting media discussions about biafra independence, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a biafra leader was kidnapped in kenya by Nigeria government because of the fear of Nigeria against Biafra independence.
“Where in this 21st century has a call for Biafran independence become a terrorist act? Finland’s assertion that our Prime Minister equipped groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition lacks evidence. This is a clear case of political pressure from the Nigerian government.”
The group maintained that the case against Ekpa was designed to suppress legitimate political agitation and free speech globally, describing the charges of terrorism as a tool to silence Biafran voices abroad.
