Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa
Nigeria to ask for Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa’s extradition to face terrorism charges
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said arrested Biafran independence agitator, Simon Ekpa, will be extradited to Nigeria from Finland to face terrorism charges.
A statement by Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, said the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Chris Musa, has expressed joy over Ekpa’s arrest and charges in Finland.
According to the statement, “The CDS is happy with his arrest in Finland, with the hope this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria so that he will face justice.”
The DHQ stressed that Simon Ekpa may face justice for his alleged involvement in activities that have destabilized southeast region of Nigeria.
Ekpa’s arrest, which occurred on charges of public incitement to commit terrorism, was seen as a relief to communities in the region, especially because Ekpa’s enforcement of the controversial Monday sit-at-home order and incitements of violence reportedly resulted in widespread economic losses and social unrest.
Indeed, Ohanaeze put the losses in the region because of the violence and sit-at-home directive at ₦22 trillion in investments, apart from the psychological and economic hardship under his directives.
Ekpa was arrested along with four others in Finland over charges of alleged terrorist activities.
Indications are that the Finish National Bureau of Investigation has requested that Ekpa be remanded on suspicion of public exhortation for an offence, committed with terrorist intent.
Specifically, a statement by Finish Police stated that Ekpa is charged along with the four other persons arrested on allegations of financing terrorism.
The police statement stated that “the requests for remand are related to a criminal investigation in which a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria born in the 1980s is suspected of public exhortation to an offence, committed with terrorist intent.
The statement added that, “The police suspect that the man has furthered his efforts from Finland in such a way that has resulted in violence against civilians and public authorities and in other crimes in South-East Nigeria.
“He has carried out this activity by campaigning, for example, on his social media channels, says Head of Investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Otto Hiltunen of the National Bureau of Investigation.”
The Finnish police, which confirmed that five people were arrested, said they carried out international cooperation during the criminal investigation.
It is not the first time Ekpa has been arrested in Finland. In February 2023, days before the presidential and national assembly elections, Ekpa was arrested in Finland where he resides after threatening that the elections would not be held in the South-East.
Ekpa was arrested by the police in his residence in the Lahti area of the country, a Finnish paper Helsingin Sanomat had reported.
The separatist repeatedly declared that there would be no elections in the Southeast region in Nigeria and insisted on the observance of a sit-at-home every Monday in the area to protest the detention of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
IPOB, however, distanced itself from the Finland-based Ekpa who was reportedly billed for an interview before his arrest.
In August, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, had said that the Finnish government was taking action against Ekpa.
She disclosed this in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, during a press conference she addressed alongside her Nordic counterparts.
According to her, the case of Ekpa whose activities were reported to the Finnish government by the Nigerian government, is now before Finnish courts.
Self-proclaimed Biafra Prime Minister Ekpa has been a strong proponent of sit-at-home directives in the South Eastern states despite the mainstream leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) suspending the exercise.