A Finnish Court of Appeal has reduced the prison sentence of Biafra separatist figure Simon Ekpa from six years to four years, while upholding his terrorism-related convictions, according to reports by Finnish media.
Ekpa was initially sentenced to six years in prison by the Päijät-Häme District Court after being found guilty of terrorism-related offences, including aggravated tax fraud.
He challenged the ruling before a higher court, seeking to overturn the conviction.
According to reports by Finnish newspaper Yle and the Helsinki Times, the appeal court upheld the finding that Ekpa participated in the activities of a terrorist group and publicly encouraged criminal acts for terrorist purposes.
However, the court reduced his prison sentence after examining the circumstances surrounding the armed violence in southeastern Nigeria, which formed part of the background to the case.
During the appeal, Ekpa argued that the situation in southeastern Nigeria amounted to an internal armed conflict and that international humanitarian law, rather than Finland’s terrorism legislation, should apply to his actions.
His defence presented evidence concerning armed groups, their weapons and military operations by Nigerian government forces.
The appeal court examined whether the violence met the legal threshold for an internal armed conflict under international legal standards.
Although the judges acknowledged similarities to the conditions of an armed conflict, they concluded that the intensity and frequency of the fighting did not meet the required threshold.
The court also considered the pattern of attacks and the evidence concerning the armed groups’ capacity to sustain prolonged military operations.
Despite rejecting Ekpa’s central legal argument, the judges reportedly found that the circumstances surrounding the offences justified a reduction in his sentence.
The terrorism-related convictions, however, remained in place.
The latest ruling is reportedly not yet final. Both Ekpa and the prosecution may seek permission to appeal to Finland’s Supreme Court.
Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, was arrested on 21 November 2024 alongside four other suspects over alleged terrorist activities connected to southeastern Nigeria. The other suspects were later released during the preliminary investigation due to insufficient evidence.
Finnish police had accused Ekpa of contributing to violence and crimes against civilians in the region.
He is associated with Autopilot, a faction of the pro-Biafra movement advocating the creation of an independent Biafran state. The Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, has been linked to deadly attacks in southeastern Nigeria, although the group has denied responsibility for some incidents.
Mediaplusng.com reports that the reduced sentence leaves Ekpa’s convictions intact, while the possibility of a further appeal means the legal proceedings may continue.
