The lawyer to Simon Ekpa, the controversial Finnish-Nigerian separatist leader, has reacted to reports that the self-proclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will be extradited to Nigeria.
According to media reports (not THE WHISTLER) on Tuesday, Finnish authorities confirmed that Ekpa will be extradited on July 15, 2025 to face charges related to terrorism and incitement of violence.
The reports claimed that the decision followed months of diplomatic negotiations and legal proceedings between Nigeria and Finland.
However, responding to inquiries on the report, Ekpa’s lawyer, Kaale Gummerus, told BBC that he was unaware of any plans to extradite him to Nigeria.
“I do not have any information that Simon Ekpa will be extradited to Nigeria. The case is still pending,” Gummerus told the BBC pidgin.
Gummerus, who recently became Ekpa’s lawyer, had in April said he received the pre-trial file of his client, adding that he is “currently checking through”
According to him, Ekpa will appear in Court in June 2025 for trial.
Ekpa, who parades himself as the “Prime Minister” of the Biafra Republic government in exile, was arrested in Lahti, Finland, in November 2024.
Finnish police accused him of using social media platforms to incite violence against civilians and authorities in Nigeria’s southeast, a region historically tied to the Biafran independence movement.
Ekpa, alongside four others, were detained for allegedly financing his activities.
The Nigerian government had accused Ekpa of coordinating violent acts, including attacks on security operatives and enforcing disruptive “sit-at-home” orders in the southeast.
