Loyalists of Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, under the aegis of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), have vowed to appeal the six-year prison sentence handed down to him by a Finnish court.

Acting Prime Minister of BRGIE, Ogechukwu Nkere, in a statement on Friday, alleged that the judgment was influenced by pressure from the Nigerian government, describing it as biased and politically motivated.

Ekpa was sentenced on Monday, September 1, 2025, by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland after being found guilty of terrorism-related offences, aggravated tax fraud, and breaching Finland’s Lawyers Act.

The court held that he used his social media platforms between August 2021 and November 2024 to incite crimes with terrorist intent in Nigeria’s South-East while agitating for Biafra’s independence.

The verdict has sparked mixed reactions both in Nigeria and among diaspora communities.

Nkere rejected the court’s findings, insisting that Ekpa’s conviction was primarily for his online advocacy of Biafran independence, which he said was rooted in decades of political and economic marginalisation following the Nigerian Civil War.

He argued that the court’s claim that Ekpa facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives, and ammunition to armed groups lacked evidence and was influenced by Nigeria’s lobbying efforts.

“Where in this 21st century has a call for Biafran independence become a terrorist act?” Nkere queried. “Finland’s assertion that our Prime Minister equipped groups with weapons and ammunition is unsubstantiated and reflects political pressure from the Nigerian government.”

Nkere said BRGIE would intensify international lobbying efforts, particularly in Washington, D.C., to draw attention to the Biafran cause, framing Ekpa’s conviction as part of a broader attempt to silence dissenting voices.

The group urged Biafrans worldwide to remain steadfast, describing the case as evidence that their agitation for self-determination is gaining global attention. (The Guardian)

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