The Nigerian government, which designated Ekpa a "terrorism financier" in early 2025, has welcomed the conviction and is exploring repatriation options after he serves his Finnish sentence.
According to current official records, Simon Ekpa has from Finnish custody as of April 28, 2026. On September 1, 2025, a Finnish court sentenced him to six years in prison for terrorism-related offenses, including inciting violence in southeastern Nigeria. The Nigerian government, which designated Ekpa a "terrorism
The Päijät-Häme District Court found him guilty of: Participating in a terrorist group. Public incitement to commit crimes with terrorist intent. Aggravated tax fraud and violating the Attorneys Act. The Päijät-Häme District Court found him guilty of:
An appeal was filed on his behalf. At that time, a spokesperson for the East Finland Court of Appeal confirmed he remained in prison. An appeal was filed on his behalf
Ekpa was briefly detained for questioning and released after several hours, which is likely the source of some recirculated old footage.
While various social media posts and blogs like "Legitvibes" or "Igbo Times Magazine" have circulated claims of his release or "jubilation" in court, these have been repeatedly debunked as by international news agencies and fact-checkers. Chronology of Events