Loyalists of Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, operating under the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), have pledged to challenge the six-year prison sentence handed to him by the Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday, September 1, 2025.
The group’s Acting Prime Minister, Ogechukwu Nkere, in a statement issued on Friday, September 5, 2025, described the ruling as biased and politically motivated, alleging interference by the Nigerian government.
Ekpa was convicted of terrorism-related offenses, aggravated tax fraud, and violating Finland’s Lawyers Act.
The court found that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa used his social media platforms to incite crimes with terrorist intent in Nigeria’s South-East while advocating for Biafran independence.
The verdict has elicited polarized reactions in Nigeria and among diaspora communities.
Nkere argued that Ekpa’s conviction stems from his vocal campaign for Biafran self-determination, which he claims is a response to decades of political and economic marginalization in Nigeria following the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).
He dismissed the court’s assertion that Ekpa facilitated the supply of weapons, explosives, and ammunition to armed groups, calling it baseless and a result of Nigerian government pressure.
“How does advocating for Biafran independence in the 21st century equate to terrorism?” Nkere questioned.
“The claim that our Prime Minister supplied weapons is unfounded and reflects external political influence.”
BRGIE announced plans to appeal the sentence and intensify its international advocacy, particularly in Washington, D.C., to highlight the Biafran cause.
Nkere framed Ekpa’s conviction as an attempt to suppress dissenting voices but insisted it underscores the growing global attention to their movement.
He called on Biafrans worldwide to remain resolute, emphasizing that the case demonstrates the international relevance of their struggle for self-determination.
The conviction has reignited debates about the Biafran agitation, with some critics in Nigeria arguing that Ekpa’s actions incited violence in the South-East, while supporters view the ruling as an infringement on free speech and a politically driven effort to silence the Biafran cause.