Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi has clarified that the federal government has not initiated extradition proceedings against Simon Ekpa, the controversial Biafra agitator currently facing trial in Finland.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the AGF dismissed media reports claiming he had announced the start of an extradition process. Instead, Fagbemi emphasized that the Nigerian government is engaging closely with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held accountable under the law.

“The attention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has been drawn to media reports where he was erroneously reported to have said that the federal government had commenced an extradition process against Simon Ekpa,” the statement read.
“The report is untrue and a complete departure from what the AGF said at the Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum held on Thursday in Abuja.”

Fagbemi explained that Ekpa, a self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently under trial in Finland, where he faces charges of spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.

Ekpa was arrested by Finnish authorities in November 2024 and has been detained by the district court of Päijät-Häme over accusations linked to 2021 incidents in Lahti. He is alleged to have instigated violence and incited terror in southeastern Nigeria through his online platforms.

According to his lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, Ekpa’s trial is expected to commence in June 2025.

The AGF’s office underscored that any reports of Nigeria actively pushing for Ekpa’s extradition at this point are false, emphasizing that the government is awaiting the outcome of the Finnish legal process.