The Nigerian Defence Headquarters in Abuja has disclosed its plan to extradite Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to face charges in Nigeria after his arrest in Finland.
According to a statement released on Thursday, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information, confirmed that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, welcomed Ekpa’s arrest and viewed it as a step towards ensuring justice.
Gusau stated, “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.”
Ekpa was recently remanded by a Finnish district court in Lahti on probable cause for public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria using social media. His activities are reported to date back to August 2021.
In addition to these charges, Finnish authorities have previously investigated Ekpa for alleged financial crimes, including fundraising through dubious means. Four other suspects were arrested alongside Ekpa.
