By Olatunbosun Obafemi
LAHTI, FINLAND — A Finnish court has approved the extradition of Simon Ekpa, a factional leader of the Biafra separatist movement, to Nigeria.
The decision was handed down by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti on April 18, with the extradition scheduled to take place on July 15, 2025.
Ekpa was arrested in November 2024 by Finnish authorities, alongside four others, on suspicions of involvement in terror-related activities. The charges include incitement to violence and financing terrorism, allegedly carried out through multiple social media platforms. Following his arrest, the court ordered his remand on probable cause for public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria.
Despite Ekpa’s claims of affiliation with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the group’s leadership has repeatedly distanced itself from his rhetoric and actions. IPOB, currently led by Nnamdi Kanu, has maintained that Ekpa does not speak or act on behalf of the organization.
In a televised interview on December 31, 2024, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, confirmed that the Nigerian government had submitted the necessary documentation to the Finnish authorities to facilitate Ekpa’s extradition.
“The Federal Government has actually forwarded most of the requirements to the Finnish Government,” General Musa stated during Channels Television’s 2024 Year-In-Review programme. “So, I’m sure the right thing will be done.”
