Abuja — The Federal Government has disclosed why it is yet to extradite Mr. Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra, who was recently arrested and detained in Finland.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), revealed that Ekpa is currently facing legal action in Finland over offences that violate both Nigerian and Finnish laws.
“On the case of Simon Ekpa, I want to let you know that he committed cross-border offences. He violated laws in both Finland and Nigeria,” the AGF stated.
“He was arrested there, and the Finnish authorities want to deal with the situation first and afterwards, release him to us.”
According to Fagbemi, the Nigerian government is cooperating with its Finnish counterpart and will await the conclusion of legal proceedings abroad before seeking Ekpa’s extradition to face charges in Nigeria.
The Justice Minister made the comments while outlining key achievements of the Federal Ministry of Justice during a press briefing on recent justice sector reforms and initiatives.
Fagbemi also announced that between December 9 and 13, 2024, a total of 237 terrorism-related cases were handled by the Ministry, resulting in 226 successful convictions.
Highlighting international collaborations, he said Nigeria has worked with authorities in Qatar and the United States to extradite several fugitives, including:
Benjamin Nnanyereugo a.k.a Killaboi, who was extradited from Qatar in April 2025 to face murder charges in Nigeria, and
Hassan Bun Hussein Abolore Lawal and Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, who were extradited to the U.S. for trial.
On asset recovery, Fagbemi revealed that Nigeria secured the repatriation of over $52.8 million from the United States through an Asset Sharing Agreement signed in January 2025. He said $50 million of the recovered funds would be invested in the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, aiming to bring electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians, while $2.88 million would support counter-terrorism training for justice sector personnel.
Fagbemi assured the public of the government’s continued commitment to justice, rule of law, and transparency, pledging to build a justice system that is responsive, fair, and accessible to all.
“We shall remain steadfast in our dedication to fostering a justice system that is fair, efficient, and upholds the highest standards of integrity by safeguarding the rights of all and promoting equitable and speedy access to justice,” he concluded.
Comments