Kaarle Gummerus, attorney to Simon Ekpa, has said that his client has not been deported to Nigeria.
Ekpa is being held in Finland on charges of instigating disturbance in Nigeria and terrorism.
However , Ekpa ‘s attorney claimed that no final decision has been made on his extradition, nevertheless.
According to recent allegations in Nigerian media, a Finnish court has set a date for Ekpa to be extradited to Nigeria to face charges.
Following the suggestion by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff that extradition would be the best course of action to bring Ekpa to justice.
Ekpa has been detained since his arrest in November 2024 as a result of a District Court ruling.
Potential extradition attempts are complicated by the fact that Ekpa, who is originally from southeast Nigeria, is a citizen of Finland.
Gummerus said Ekpa’s case was still pending.
“As far as I know, Simon Ekpa will not be extradited to Nigeria.” Gummerus told BBC News Pidgin that the lawsuit was still pending.
He stated that no formal charges had been brought yet, and the Finnish authorities had until May 2025 to do so.
He also confirmed that a court appearance was planned for June 2025.
Under President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian government has stated that it supports Finland’s decision to arrest and hold Ekpa.
President Tinubu made it clear that acts that sowed discord in the nation would not be accepted by his administration.
Since then, Nigeria has been urging Finland to release Ekpa so he can face punishment in his native country.
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