Daily Justice

By The Cable.ng

On Tuesday, a wave of social media posts and blog articles falsely claimed that a Finnish court had approved the extradition of Simon Ekpa, a controversial Biafra separatist, from Finland to Nigeria. The alleged ruling was said to have been delivered on 18 April 2025 at the Päijät-Häme district court in Lahti. However, a fact-checking investigation by The Cable.ng has debunked these claims, confirming they are entirely false.

The misleading posts, which spread rapidly across platforms such as X, Facebook, and TikTok, were accompanied by an AI-generated image depicting Ekpa in what appeared to be a prison uniform. Prominent blogs, including Instabloggja and Nigerian Stories, amplified the false narrative. One widely shared post read: “Finnish Court Approves Simon Ekpa’s Extradition to Nigeria. Simon Ekpa, the controversial Finnish-Nigerian separatist agitator, will be extradited to Nigeria following a Finnish court ruling on April 18, 2025.”

The misinformation gained further traction when Reno Omokri, a former Nigerian presidential aide, referenced the claim on X. Even Daily Times, a national newspaper with approximately one million social media followers, published the fabricated story on its front page for Wednesday’s edition, featuring the AI-generated image of Ekpa.

Simon Ekpa, a dual Finnish-Nigerian citizen, was arrested in Finland on 21 November 2024 on suspicion of terrorism-related activities. The Päijät-Häme district court ordered his detention for allegedly “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media” in 2021 in Lahti. Ekpa is accused of inciting violence and terror in south-east Nigeria through his online platforms, particularly targeting security forces and public institutions.

Nigerian authorities have repeatedly sought Ekpa’s extradition for prosecution, but these efforts have yet to succeed. Mikko Laaksonen, a senior detective superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), previously stated that a Finnish court had scheduled May 2025 for prosecutors to file charges against Ekpa, who remains in custody as the alleged offences are non-bailable. Kaarle Gummerus, Ekpa’s lawyer, recently confirmed that Ekpa is set to face trial in June 2025.

The Cable.ng conducted a thorough investigation, searching the websites of Yle, a Finnish broadcasting organisation, and the Päijät-Häme district court. No evidence was found to support the claim that a Finnish court had ordered Ekpa’s extradition. While Nigerian authorities have expressed interest in pursuing extradition, it remains unclear whether a formal request has been submitted or when such proceedings might commence.

CableCheck reached out to Ekpa’s lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, who firmly denied the claims. “I can confirm to you that no decision has been taken in Finland. I have no information on the matter, so no such decision could have been taken,” Gummerus stated in an email, adding, “I wonder who is spreading such information.”

Similarly, Mikko Laaksonen of the NBI told CableCheck: “NBI has received similar information from different sources. However, NBI is not aware of any decisions regarding extradition that is related to the investigation in question.”

Verdict

The claim that a Finnish court has approved Simon Ekpa’s extradition to Nigeria is false. Social media users and media outlets are urged to verify information before sharing to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Source- https://factcheck.thecable.ng/