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former British Police Officer and National Security Risk Strategist has cautioned Nigeria not to be optimistic about the extradition of Simon Ekpa. This follows the raging media storm over his arrest by the Finish authorities, with the Nigeria military pushing for his extradition to face yet-to-be-calibrated criminal charges.
Speaking on Arise News, on Friday, monitored by New Post Africa, Onyekwelu said he is not convinced that the extradition will happen soon because there is no treaty between Nigeria and the Scandinavian country in that aspect.
“Professionally speaking, the Finnish Authorities have done their due diligence and they have every reasonable ground to arrest Mr Simon Ekpa,” he said.
On what we determine if his extradition will happen or not, he opined that the matter is “now left for the court in Finland to now look into the request by the Chief of Defence Staff to extradite Simon Ekpa to Nigeria. Professionally speaking, the chances are possible to extradite Simon Ekpa. However, in my opinion, it is almost, almost impossible,” he reiterated.
Further assessing the complexity of the situation, he stated that the case will go through the European Union Criminal Justice system. Because Ekpa is a citizen of the EU and will defend himself and the reason he is fighting for self-determination for Biafra.
The security expert also accessed the human rights records of Nigeria, describing it as “nothing to boast about,” and cited instances of several alleged human rights abuses in the country and the latest alleged abuse of a couple by officers of the Nigeria military in the Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. All of which he said can weaken Ekpa’s extradition request.
The man, Simon Ekpa, born on March 21, 1985, is a member of the ruling National Coalition Party of Finland. Since 2022, he and his Biafran Republic Government in Exile, which he serves as its Prime Minister, have actively propagated the restoration of the Biafran Republic from his base in Finland.
In the last two years, following the arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Kenya and his detention at the Nigeria spy police facility in Abuja, Ekpa has taken the centre stage of the Biafran movement. Unlike Kanu, his approach to the struggle has been offensive. His sit at home orders has been of great concern to the authorities, who accused him of creating insecurity and destabilising the southeast region, which he denies.
