Two of the suspects arrested alongside Simon Ekpa have been released by the Finnish government, according to a report by Nigeria’s The Nation newspaper.
Ekpa, arrested on November 21, 2024, along with four others, faced accusations of terror-related activities, including incitement to violence and financing terrorism in Nigeria.
Following his arrest, he was remanded in prison by the Päijät-Häme district court for allegedly “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”
The five men have been incarcerated since November 2024.
However, sources have confirmed that two of Ekpa’s alleged accomplices have since been freed by Finnish authorities.
The names of the released individuals or the specific reasons for their release remain undisclosed as of the time of this report.
Government sources, who declined to offer further details, confirmed Ekpa remained in custody.
This development follows an announcement by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, confirming that the country has requested Ekpa’s extradition.
Gen. Musa said the requirements for the extradition of the separatist had been forwarded to Finland Government.
While not disclosing so much, the Defence Chief however said “Legal action is going to be taken accordingly.
“The Federal Government has actually forwarded most of the requirements to the Finnish Government. So, I’m sure the right thing will be done.”
Findings by The Nation showed that the Finnish government was working with the Nigerian government on ending the violence activities of IPOB in the Southern part of the country.
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