Ekpa is believed to lead a splinter faction called “Autopilot,” which authorities claim is linked to violent activities, including enforced sit-at-home orders and targeted killings in southeastern Nigeria.
A Finnish court has approved the extradition of Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-Finnish separatist leader, to Nigeria on charges including terrorism, incitement, and conspiracy.
The Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti granted Nigeria’s request last Thursday, with the extradition scheduled for July 15. Ekpa, who claims leadership of the “Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile,” was arrested in November 2024 after months of surveillance by Finnish authorities.
Though often associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the group has publicly disowned him. “Ekpa operates independently. Linking him to IPOB is misleading and dangerous,” said an IPOB spokesperson.
Ekpa is believed to lead a splinter faction called “Autopilot,” which authorities claim is linked to violent activities, including enforced sit-at-home orders and targeted killings in southeastern Nigeria.
Nigeria’s case was presented under the Rome Statute, ratified by both countries. The Nigerian government welcomed the ruling, calling it “a major step for justice” and a warning to those who “seek to destabilize the country from foreign shores.”
