Lawyer to Simon Ekpa wey be promoter of di proscribed group Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (Ipob) wey land for Finland prison don give response ontop reports say dem go extradite im client to Nigeria.
Dis na afta tori wey dey fly for Nigeria local media say court for Finland don set date for Simon EKpa to come Nigeria sake of charges against am.
Meanwhile, wen dem gbab Ekpa for Finland, di Chief of Defence Staff for Nigeria say dat fit be di korrect steps to take extradite am come Nigeria to ‘face justice’.
For November 2024, local tori pipo for Finland report say di District Court of Päijät-Häme send Ekpa go prison and since dat time, di Lahti municipal politician don dey chill behind bars.
As Ekpa still dey prison Nigeria goment list am among di 17 individuals wey dey di Nigeria Sanction List and freeze dia accounts sake of alleged activities wey surround issues of terrorism.
Howeva, Ekpa wey be Nigerian man from di Southeast region of di kontri also get Finland passport wey make am a citizen of di European Union.
But e no clear weda all plans don conclude ontop di matter to extradite Ekpa come Nigeria as di lawyer tell BBC News Pidgin last week say na till June 2025 e go appear for court.
Wetin Nigeria tok about Ekpa arrest and extradition
For January 2025, Nigeria President Bola Tinubu bin hail Finland goment for di arrest and detention of Simon Ekpa and warn say im goment ”no go tolerate actions and statement wey go cause division among kontri pipo”.
Dat na di first time wey di Nigerian leader dey address Ekpa case since im chop arrest last year on charges of alleged terrorist activities for Finland.
Also, Nigerian goment dey hope say di Finland goment go extradite Simon Ekpa.
Reacting to Ekpa arrest last year, Tukur Gusau, di tok-tok pesin for di Nigeria Defence, tok say “di Chief of Defence Staff dey happy wit Ekpa arrest for Finland, wit di hope say dis go be a step towards im extradition to Nigeria so e go fit face justice”.
Howeva, e neva clear now weda Finland go extradite Simon Ekpa come Nigeria or not.
How extradition dey work
Normally, no sovereign nation dey under obligation to surrender a criminal to anoda nation, bicos evri sovereign nation get legal authority over pipo wey dey live within dia borders.
Dis na why bifor extradition go happun, di two nations involved suppose don get extradition agreement between dem.
Also, di nation wey dey request for di extradition must to get proof say di arrested suspect bin commit di crime for dia territory, or say di crime affect pipo wey dey live for dia territory.
Chukwuma Ezeala, a lawyer, tok for one TV interview say: “Terrorism na international crime, and accordig to di Rome Status, all kontris wey be signatories to di Status must cooperate in di arrest, punishment and prevention of terrorism. And in dis case, Nigeria and Finland na signatories to di Rome Status.”
“Anoda kwesion na weda we (Nigeria) get bilateral agreement wit Finland, but from all indications, Nigeria and Finland no get such agreement.”
“However, since terrorism na international crime, Ekpa still fit dey extradited to Nigeria but e go depend on weda Nigeria go fit satisfy di oda conditions wey go make Finland extradite Ekpa.”
Anoda factor wey fit affect di request for extradition na di human rights records of di requesting kontri. If di nation wey arrest di suspect no dey satisfied say di requesting nation go uphold di human rights of di suspect, dem fit no gree to hand am over, according to Vince Onyekwelu wey be former British Police officer and a security analyst.
“Bringing dat man (Ekpa) to Nigeria to face trial na great idea, but I no think say di Chief of Defence Staff suppose go house go dey sleep, bicos di Finnish goment go first check di human rights record of Nigeria, and we know say our human rights record na nothing to boast about,” Onyekwelu tok for TV interview.
“Again, Simon Ekpa na politician for Finland since 2017 and im na member of di National Coalition Party wey be di ruling party for Finland today. Ekpa also serve as army officer for Finland. Wen you check di human rights record for Nigeria, you tink say di National Coalition Party of Finland go feel comfortable to extradite dia citizen come Nigeria?”
Similarly, Uche Mefor, wey be di former second-in-command to Nnamdi Kanu for Ipob, bin chook mouth for di matter – e say to extradite Ekpa “go be a serious legal battle and Nigeria fit no succeed becos Simon na Finnish citizen”.
Mefor believe say if di matter reach trial and jail, Ekpa go spend am for Finland not Nigeria.