The Federal Government of Nigeria has formally submitted the requirements for the extradition of pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa to Finland, according to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa.
Speaking on Channels Television’s 2024 Year-In-Review programme on December 31, 2024, General Musa expressed confidence in the ongoing legal processes.
“Well, I’m sure he (Ekpa) is cooling off somewhere,” he remarked. “Legal action is going to be taken accordingly. I don’t want to say much about that, but I’m happy he has been arrested. The Federal Government has actually forwarded most of the requirements to the Finnish Government, so I’m sure the right thing will be done.”
General Musa also noted that Ekpa’s enforced sit-at-home orders in Nigeria’s South-East region have been losing momentum, crediting military clearance operations for this development.
In November 2024, Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa alongside four others on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing. A district court in Lahti, Finland, subsequently ordered Ekpa’s remand on charges of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria.
The separatist leader has been accused of using social media to spread propaganda supporting the secessionist agenda of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). IPOB has been at the forefront of calls for the secession of Nigeria’s southeastern region.
Authorities in both countries are now navigating the legal framework to determine the next steps in Ekpa’s extradition process.
