The Deputy Prime Minister of the United States of Biafra, Dr Ngozi Orabueze, has said Biafrans reject the ruling in Finland, which sentenced their Prime Minister, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison.

Orabueze, in a statement on Monday, said the ruling will be appealed, adding that the sentence cannot extinguish the quest for self-determination. "Instead, it proves that the United States of Biafra Independence has shifted into the legal arena—where rights, justice, and the voices of the people cannot be muted," she said.

Orabueze stated that the verdict handed down by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has far-reaching political and legal implications that extend beyond the individual case.

She stated that by declaring the pursuit of Biafra’s independence was carried out through “illegal means,” the Finnish judiciary has made a clear and undeniable distinction: the issue at hand was not Biafra’s right to self-determination or independence, but rather the methods allegedly employed.

"This is a critical point. If the very objective — the independence of Biafra; were unlawful under Finnish or international law, the court would have had no need to qualify its ruling with reference to “illegal means.” Instead, by focusing on the alleged conduct rather than the political goal, Finland’s justice system has implicitly recognized the legitimacy of Biafra’s Declaration of Independence as a political and democratic aspiration.

"Finland, as a member of the European Union and a signatory to the United Nations Charter, has once again affirmed the core principle of international law: all peoples have the right to self-determination. The Biafran people, who declared independence through a democratic process, are no exception.

"Thus, this ruling can be seen not as a rejection of Biafra’s independence movement, but as a direct acknowledgement that Biafra’s right to independence is legitimate and lawful, provided it is pursued through peaceful and democratic means.

"The Biafran nation and its citizens around the world take note of this important distinction. The Finnish court has elevated Biafra’s Independence and Sovereignty from the margins of international discourse into the realm of recognised political legitimacy.

"This ruling will be appealed," she said.

ASA