From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has requested the extradition of pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, from Finland.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, made this known on Tuesday, when he featured on Channels Television’s 2024 Year-In-Review programme.
Ekpa, alongside four others, waa arrested in November 2024 by Finnish authorities on suspicion of involvement in terrorism-related offences, including incitement to violence and terrorism financing.
The Finland district court in Lahti, had ordered his remand, citing probable cause for public incitement with terrorist intent in Nigeria. He has been accused of using social media to propagate separatist messages and fuel unrest in Southeastern Nigeria. .
Speaking on Channels, the CDS disclosed that legal action is being pursued in accordance with international protocols to extradite Ekpa to Nigeria.
“I don’t want to say much about that, but I’m happy he has been arrested. The Federal Government has actually forwarded most of the requirements to the Finnish Government. So, I’m sure the right thing will be done”, he said, adding that the sit-at-home order propagated by Ekpa and his allies in the South-East have begun to lose momentum.
The CDS also vowed to arrest notorious terrorist and bandit kingpin, Bello Turji.
Noting that his commanders have been neutralised and other allies arrested, Gen Musa said it is only a matter of time before the military gets hold of Turji, who has wreaked havoc in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi communities, despoiling and kidnapping residents for hefty ransom.
“The update is that since he knows we’ve been after him, he has been operating underground and we are conducting operations”, the CDS said when asked for an update on Turji who has been on the run for a while.
“What we have been doing, of recent, is that we are picking everybody close to him; all those giving him support in one way or the other, we have picked them, we have killed his commanders. It’s just a matter of time”, he said, adding that over 120,000 terrorists have surrendered in the North-East.
