Nigerian govt yet to begin extradition process for Simon Ekpa, says AGF Fagbemi

Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has clarified that the federal government has not initiated an extradition process for Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Biafra agitator currently standing trial in Finland.

In a statement released on Friday by his media aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the Attorney-General dismissed recent media reports suggesting that he had announced the start of extradition proceedings against Ekpa. Fagbemi stressed that his remarks at a stakeholders’ engagement forum in Abuja on Thursday were misrepresented.

“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.”

Fagbemi noted that while the Nigerian government remains deeply concerned about Ekpa’s alleged activities, particularly his incitement of violence in Nigeria’s South-East region, the approach has so far centered on diplomatic engagement with Finnish authorities.

“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,” the statement emphasized.

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Ekpa, a prominent figure in the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024. The District Court of Päijät-Häme later remanded him to prison over allegations of spreading terrorist propaganda via social media, offenses reportedly committed in 2021 in the municipality of Lahti.

He is accused of using his online platforms to incite violence and promote unrest in Nigeria, prompting concern from both Nigerian and Finnish authorities.

The AGF reiterated that the federal government was closely monitoring the legal proceedings in Finland. “Ekpa is currently standing trial in Finland for charges filed against him by the Finnish government,” the statement said.

His lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, recently disclosed that the trial is scheduled to commence in June 2025.

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