This could be the end of the road for the Finland based fugitive, Simon Ekpa as the Finnish government on Tuesday said that it has started acting on the complaint lodged by the Nigerian authorities against him.
Mr Simon Ekpa has been accused of leading blood soaked pro-Biafra secessionist campaigns in the South-East region which has resulted to the unfortunate death of hundreds of innocent civilian including security operatives.
During a press briefing in Abuja, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen, said that discussions are actively underway and indicated that the judicial aspect of Ekpa’s case will soon reach a resolution.
She said that the judicial process must be completed before they can extradite Simon Ekpa, a leader of the breakaway faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Recall that Mr Ekpa has repeatedly used social media to incite violence against the Nigerian government and has also called for the secession of Biafra from Nigeria, garnering both followers and controversy in his wake.
The Nigerian government over time has demanded his extradition and readiness to bring him to book for his actions.
Speaking further during the press briefing, Valtonen stressed that Ekpa’s situation is seen strictly as a judicial matter, not political.
“Finland, a nation that prides itself on upholding the rule of law, is committed to waiting for the proper judicial proceedings to unfold before taking any further action.
“The case in question is judicial, and it must run its course,” she stated firmly. “If there is a specific individual operating in Finland in a less-than-constructive manner, rest assured that we are in active dialogue with Nigerian authorities, collaborating closely on this issue.”
“Both our judicial systems are working together on this, and we are optimistic that a resolution will be reached soon”, she said.