Some social media users claim that a Finnish court has ruled that Simon Ekpa, a pro-Biafra agitator, who was recently sentenced to prison, should be released.
The claim was posted by multiple social media users across Facebook and Instagram — in what appears to be a copy-and-paste news post trend.
The post also claimed that the Finnish court awarded $50,000 compensation to Ekpa after the Nigerian government purportedly failed to appear in court.
The quote was ascribed to an unnamed judge in the post.
“The Finnish court has officially released Biafran activist Simon Ekpa after the Nigerian government failed to appear in court to substantiate its allegations against him,” the viral post reads.
“According to the court ruling, Ekpa’s detention was declared “unlawful and politically motivated,” and he was awarded $50,000 in compensation for the illegal imprisonment.
“Speaking after the verdict, the presiding judge reportedly stated:
“Simon Ekpa is a free man under Finnish law. He has every right to express his views and defend the interests of his people, as long as he operates within legal boundaries.”
“Simon Ekpa, in his remarks shortly after his release, said:
“They tried to silence me, but truth cannot be imprisoned. This victory is not mine alone-it belongs to the people of Biafra and everyone fighting for justice.”
A Facebook page, also known as “I News,” with over 167,000 followers, published the claim.
CableCheck observed that some of the social media users and pages that posted the claim are loyalists of the separatist leader.
The claim was published here, here, and here.
BACKGROUND
On September 1, the Päijät-Häme district court in Finland sentenced Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism offences.
The three-member panel of judges had found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
The court said Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to stoke tensions in Nigeria’s south-east region between August 2021 and November 2024.
The court also convicted Ekpa of aggravated tax fraud and violating the provisions of the attorneys’ act.
According to the law in Finland, Ekpa has 30 days to file an appeal against the district court’s judgment. That is, the pro-Biafra agitator must file his appeal on or before October 1, 2025.
CableCheck cannot confirm whether Ekpa has filed an appeal, as his lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, has yet to respond to our enquiry over the development.
VERIFICATION
CableCheck searched multiple Finnish media platforms to ascertain whether another court had purportedly ordered Ekpa’s release as claimed in the viral post.
No credible media platform reported the purported release.
Since his conviction by a district court on September 1, there has not been any report of the matter being heard by the appeal court in Finland as of October 22.
VERDICT
The claim that a Finnish court has purportedly released Ekpa is false.
