THE Attorney General of the federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has disclosed that the Federal Government was yet to commence the process for the extradition of Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, from Finland.
Fagbemi denied reports that he recently announced that government had commenced the process, clarifying in a statement by his media aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele, that he only stated that government would wait for the outcome of Ekpa’s trial in Finland and was engaging with Finnish authorities to ensure that he is held accountable.
The statement said the AGF was erroneously misrepresented, adding: “The report is untrue and a complete departure from what the AGF said at the Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum held on Thursday in Abuja.
“Ekpa, a leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently standing trial in Finland for charges filed against him by the Finnish Government.
“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.”
Recall that Ekpa was arrested in November last year by law enforcement in Finland and subsequently sent to prison by the District Court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media” in 2021 in Lahti Municipality.
He is accused of instigating violence and inciting terror in Nigeria’s Southeast through his social media pages.
His new lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, recently disclosed that Ekpa’s trial is expected to start in June this year.
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