Simon Ekpa: FG Yet To Make Formal Extradition Request To Finland- AGF
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has debunked reports suggesting that the federal government has begun extradition proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a controversial separatist leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).In a statement issued by Kamarudeen Ogundele, media aide to the AGF, Fagbemi clarified that the federal government is yet to initiate any formal extradition process. Instead, he stated that Nigeria is closely monitoring developments in Finland, where Ekpa is currently standing trial for allegedly spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.“The report is untrue and a complete departure from what the AGF said at the Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum held on Thursday in Abuja,” the statement read.According to Fagbemi, Nigeria is in communication with Finnish authorities, pushing for Ekpa to be held accountable for actions allegedly linked to violence and unrest in southeastern Nigeria.Ekpa was arrested in November 2024 by Finnish authorities and remanded by the Päijät-Häme District Court over charges connected to terror-related propaganda he allegedly disseminated in 2021. His trial is scheduled to begin in June 2025, according to his lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus.The Nigerian government, the AGF emphasized, will await the outcome of the legal proceedings in Finland before making any move regarding possible extradition.Fagbemi’s clarification follows a wave of misinformation in the media suggesting that an extradition process was underway.“To set the record straight, what the AGF said during the Q&A session was that the Nigerian government had been engaging with Finnish authorities to ensure that Simon Ekpa is held accountable for his actions,” the statement concluded.Ekpa, who resides in Lahti, Finland, is accused of using his online platforms to incite violence in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East, leading to attacks and unrest linked to his so-called “sit-at-home” campaigns.
