Just in: No extradition process against Simon Ekpa yet, says Justice Minister 

Contrary to some recent media reports, the Federal Government has not initiated any extradition process against Simon Ekpa.

This clarification by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) is contained in a statement issued on Friday by Kamarudeen Ogundele, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Publicity.

He labeled the reports as false, asserting they misrepresented the AGF’s statements made at Thursday’s Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum in Abuja.

The statement reads: “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.

“He explained that since the crimes committed by Simon Ekpa were crossborder in nature, the Nigerian government eagerly awaits the outcome of the proposed trial in Finland to have an informed decision on the next step to take.

“The AGF appeals to the media to be circumspect and avoid reporting speculations on the sensitive matter.”

Persecondnews recalls that Ekpa, a leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently on trial in Finland for charges filed by the Finnish government.

The self-proclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile has claimed responsibility for violent attacks on Nigerian security agents and those suspected of sympathizing with Nigeria, framing these actions as reprisals for the perceived terror inflicted by Nigerian security forces on ‘Biafra territory.’

From his base in Finland, Ekpa champions extreme measures to bring about the separation of Nigeria’s southeast region and parts of neighbouring states, seeking to create a sovereign Biafra nation, a quest that led to Nigeria’s Civil War between 1967 and 1970.

His modus operandi includes the brutal enforcement of an illegal stay-at-home order on Mondays in the region, in addition to attacks on federal government institutions within the reach of brutal enforcers.