Self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), Simon Ekpa, has expressed confidence that his six-year prison sentence in Finland will be overturned as his appeal progresses.
Ekpa made the statement during an appeal hearing on Thursday, months after the Päijät-Häme District Court sentenced him to six years in prison on September 1, 2025, following his conviction on terrorism-related and aggravated tax-fraud charges.
The Finnish court found Ekpa guilty of offences including participation in a terrorist organisation, publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent, and facilitating the supply of weapons, explosives and ammunition to armed groups. He was also convicted over social-media activities between August 2021 and November 2024 that the court said encouraged violence in Nigeria’s South-East.
Speaking to supporters who attended the appeal hearing, Ekpa maintained that he was wrongly convicted and insisted that the full facts would eventually clear him.
He said he remained confident in the legal process and that the truth would ultimately emerge.
Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 following investigations into alleged terrorism-related activities connected to Nigeria’s South-East. He denied the allegations and subsequently appealed the district court’s judgment.
The outcome of the appeal will determine whether his conviction and six-year sentence are upheld or overturned.