The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa, has expressed optimism that the recent arrest of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, by Finnish authorities, will pave the way for his extradition to Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement by Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, on Wednesday.
“CDS is happy with his (Ekpa’s) arrest in Finland, with the hope this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria so that he will face justice,” the statement read.
A Finnish district court in Lahti had earlier ordered Ekpa’s remand on charges of public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria.
Finnish authorities accuse Ekpa of leveraging social media platforms to propagate separatist rhetoric tied to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria.
Ekpa’s activities have been linked to increased unrest in Nigeria, with authorities blaming him for inciting violence and attacks in the region.
