President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to immediately commence extradition proceedings against Mr. Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Republic Government in exile.
Rising-Up for a United Nigeria (RUN), in collaboration with Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) and other front line Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in a letter dated 26th March 2024, referenced; PRES/FRN/SH/RUN/01/2 and addressed to the President berated the lack of commitment on the part of the federal government in expediting the extradition of Mr. Simon Ekpa despite his alleged atrocities.
The group argued that the non-committal attitude of the Nigeria Government towards bringing Ekpa to face Justice has in no small measure emboldened him to continue to incite innocent youth against the Nigeria state.
The letter was addressed to the President through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and signed by duo of Amb. Solomon Adodo and Mallam Suleiman Musa; Convener and President of RUN and EUYI respectively.
The group referred to the claim by the embattled leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu that certain individuals are willfully inciting the violence in the Southeast and profiting from same.
The group contended that no other individual fits this description more than Mr. Simon Ekpa.
While urging the Attorney General to quickly approach the courts for a warrant of arrest, the CSOs reminded the federal government that, “extradition as a process is not governed by any international treaty regime or overseen by the United Nations.
The letter reads in part: ” It typically involves a treaty between two states since extradition treaty is a matter of comity rather than because of a legal obligation.
“Let the Nigeria State reach out to the Finland Government where Ekpa has been hiding to perpetrate his atrocities to perfect the process for the extradition of his to Nigeria to face trails. We are, therefore, calling on Nigerian Government to initiate extradition treaty with Finland Government to enable the successful extradition of Simon Ekpa whose activities have caused untold hardship and colossal loss of lives, to face trial in Nigeria.
“Simon Ekpa must be used as a test case to serve as deterrent to others and to assert in clears terms that the current government under President Tinubu will give no room to the enemies of the Nigerian State. He must not be treated as if he is above the law. The impunity and lawlessness with which he has been conducting himself must be met with reasonable sanctions.
“The Nigerian Government should quickly collaborate with the Finnish Government to ensure Simon Ekpa is rendered to Nigeria and Justice is served timeously on this unscrupulous peddler of war and disunity in Nigeria.”
