The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has confirmed that the requirements for the extradition of pro-Biafran agitator Simon Ekpa to Nigeria have been forwarded to the Government of Finland.
Speaking on Channels Television’s 2024 Year-In-Review programme on December 31, 2024, General Musa expressed confidence in the legal process, stating, “Well, I’m sure he is cooling off somewhere. Legal action is going to be taken accordingly. I don’t want to say much about that but I’m happy he has been arrested.”
General Musa also mentioned that the Federal Government has submitted most of the necessary documents to the Finnish Government, ensuring that the appropriate steps will be taken. He noted that the sit-at-home orders propagated by Ekpa and his allies in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria are diminishing due to military clearance operations.
In November 2024, Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa along with four others on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing. The district court in Lahti, Finland, ordered Ekpa’s remand on probable cause for public incitement to commit a crime with terrorist intent in Nigeria. The separatist leader was accused of using social media platforms to spread separatist propaganda linked to IPOB, a group advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria.
