The Federal Government has clarified that it has not commenced formal extradition proceedings against Simon Ekpa, the Finland-based Biafra separatist currently facing trial in Europe.
This clarification comes amid reports falsely claiming that Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, had confirmed the start of the extradition process.
In a statement issued by Kamarudeen Ogundele, media aide to the AGF, the Ministry of Justice described those reports as inaccurate and a misrepresentation of the AGF’s comments made during a recent stakeholder engagement in Abuja.
“The attention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has been drawn to media reports where he was erroneously reported to have said that the federal government had commenced an extradition process against Simon Ekpa,” the statement read.
“The report is untrue and a complete departure from what the AGF said at the Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum held on Thursday in Abuja.”
Fagbemi clarified that while Nigeria has been in talks with Finnish authorities, no formal extradition request has been submitted. According to him, the focus for now remains on the outcome of Ekpa’s ongoing legal proceedings in Finland.
“To set the record straight, what the AGF said during the question and answer session was that the Nigerian government had been engaging with Finnish authorities to ensure that Simon Ekpa is held accountable for his actions,” Ogundele added.
Okay.ng reports that Simon Ekpa, who identifies as a leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by Finnish law enforcement in November 2024. He was later remanded by the district court of Päijät-Häme on charges related to spreading terrorist propaganda via social media.
The alleged offence reportedly took place in 2021 in the Lahti municipality of Finland. Authorities there claim Ekpa used his online platforms to incite violence in Nigeria’s South-East region.
His trial is scheduled to begin in June 2025, according to his legal counsel, Kaarle Gummerus.
