On January 3, 2025, popular Nigerian facts blog on X, @NigeriaStories made a post claiming that Simon Ekpa’s extradition process has been completed, and he is set to be returned to Nigeria from Finland.
The post had a picture of Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, General Christopeher Musa and Ekpa with the caption, ‘JUST IN: Extradition process have been completed for Simon Ekpa to be returned to Nigeria from Finland.’
This post has generated over 1.1 million views with over 1,200 replies, 2,000 plus reposts and quotes, over 11,000 likes and 474 bookmarks as of the time this report was published.
VERIFICATION
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian origin, is associated with the Biafran separatist movement and has been accused by Nigerian authorities of inciting violence and funding terrorism in Nigeria’s southeastern region.
In November 2024, Finnish authorities detained Ekpa and others on suspicion of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing.
The Nigerian government has expressed its intent to extradite Ekpa to face charges. However, extradition processes are typically lengthy and involve significant legal and diplomatic hurdles.
As of now, no official statement has been issued by the Nigerian government or Finnish authorities confirming that the extradition process for Simon Ekpa has been finalised.
FIJ Nigeria reported that the process is still ongoing but has not reached the stage of completion. This was following a January 2, 2025 interview of General Musa on Channels Television but the CDS did not explicitly confirm that Ekpa’s extradition process had been completed.
Finland’s judicial system is independent, and any extradition request must comply with the country’s legal framework, which could take time to resolve. Meanwhile, Ekpa holds Finnish citizenship, so his extradition would involve intricate legal processes that adheres to Finnish and international laws due to his dual citizenship.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Simon Ekpa’s extradition process has been completed is FALSE. As of January 2025, the extradition is still under process, and there has been no official confirmation from Finnish or Nigerian authorities that the transfer has been finalised.