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BBC News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Simon Ekpa lawyer react to extradition report of IPOB promoter to Nigeria
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 Ekpa lawyer tok about extradition to Nigeria Reports bin dey go round for Nigeria say court for Finland don rule say make dem transfer Simon Ekpa come Nigeria by July 2025. We reach out to Simon Ekpa lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, wey dey represent to sabi di truth about di extradition plan. Di lawyer tok say di case still dey pend and im no get any information yet if dem dey extradite Ekpa come Nigeria or not. "I no get any information say Simon Ekpa go dey extradited to Nigeria. Di case still dey pend," Ekpa lawyer tell BBC News Pidgin. Meanwhile, we bin don out to di lawyer bifor to get how di mata dey go and wen dem go carry Ekpa go court for trial. Di lawyer confam say im don receive di pre-trial file of di case and dem go check through to know wetin to do. E say Simon Ekpa go appear for court for June 2025. Also, di District court for Päijät-Häme, tell BBC News Pidgin say dem neva 'press charges' yet and time still dey till May 2025 to press charges ontop Simon Ekpa case. 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.
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Finland court set date for Simon Ekpa appearance as Ipob promoter change lawyer
Simon Ekpa wey be promoter of di proscribed group Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (Ipob) wey land for Finland prison don get date wey im go appear for court. Remember say dem gbab Ekpa for Finland for November 2024, ontop claim of probable cause and on suspicion of publicly inciting pipo to commit crime wit terrorist intent. Im na leader of di secessionist group wey e call di Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), wey be breakaway faction of Ipob. Local tori pipo for Finland report say di District Court of Päijät-Häme send Ekpa go prison for 2024. Since dat time, di Lahti municipal politician don dey chill behind bars and tori about am don go silent. Meanwhile, 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. Di committee immediately freeze accounts, assets and oda economic resources wey belong to Simon Ekpa wit oda 16 individuals and groups wey dey di Sanction List. Meanwhile, report tok say part of why dem gbab Ekpa na say e dey allegedly spread separatist propaganda on social media. 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". Change of lawyer - wetin dey happun ontop Ekpa case For December 2024, BBC Pidgin send message give Simon Ekpa lawyer wey dey represent am for di case, Ilkka Kopra, to ask am wetin dey happun ontop di case and how long Ekpa go dey prison. Di lawyer reply say "na di decision of di Finnish court of law to put Ekpa for prison". E add say dem dey do evritin within dia power to see say Ekpa dey free but dem no sabi how long e go stay for prison. BBC Pidgin do anoda follow up message to know wetin be Ekpa reaction to di report say Nigerian goment don freeze im assets. Na dat time we receive say Ekpa don change im lawyer becos say di one wey dey represent am bifor don retire. And e hand ova di case to a new lawyer. Wen Simon Ekpa go appear for court Plenti rumour and reports dey fly upandan for social media say Simon Ekpa go appear for court in May. Some even claim say di court trial no go happun as di Ipob promoter still dey prison. We reach out to Ekpa new lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, to get how di mata dey go and wen dem go carry Ekpa go court for trial. Di lawyer confam say im don receive di pre-trial file of di case and dem go check through to know wetin to do. However, wen we ask am wem Simon Ekpa go appear for court, e say di case dey go court for June 2025. E neva clear weda Finland go extradite Simon Ekpa come Nigeria or not. Ekpa na member of di National Coalition Party (NCP) for Finland wia e dey represent dem for Public Transport Board for di Lahti region wia e dey live But im party don tok say di name of Simon Ekpa no follow for di candidates list for di next county and municipal elections wey dey happun for April 2025.
