FG Submits Extradition Requirements For Simon Ekpa As Military Intensifies Operations Against Bello Turji

FCT, ABUJA, NIGERIA – Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), disclosed that the federal government has submitted most of the necessary requirements to facilitate Simon Ekpa’s extradition from Finland to Nigeria.

Ekpa, a pro-Biafra agitator and secessionist, was arrested by Finnish law enforcement on November 21, 2024. Following his arrest, a district court in Päijät-Häme sentenced him to prison for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media.”

Speaking during Channels Television’s year-end review programme on December 31, 2024, Musa expressed satisfaction with Ekpa’s arrest.

“Well, I’m sure he is cooling off somewhere. Legal action is going to be taken accordingly. I don’t want to say much about that, but I’m happy he has been arrested”, Musa said.

He further added, “The Federal Government has actually forwarded most of the requirements to the Finnish Government. So, I’m sure the right thing will be done.”

Musa also discussed the military’s ongoing efforts to apprehend Bello Turji, a notorious terrorist and bandit leader. Turji has been linked to multiple attacks across Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states.

“The update is that since he knows we’ve been after him, he has been operating underground and we are conducting operations,” Musa explained. He noted that the military has already neutralized many of Turji’s commanders and arrested several associates.

“What we have been doing, of recent, is that we are picking everybody close to him; all those giving him support in one way or the other. It’s just a matter of time”, he added.

Musa revealed that over 120,000 terrorists in the North-East have surrendered. He acknowledged that many were coerced into joining insurgency groups.

He noted that efforts are ongoing to distinguish the masterminds from those forced into crime, with promises of justice for those responsible for orchestrating terror.

Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, also addressed the situation, emphasizing the military’s determination to eliminate Turji.

“Take it from me, he (Turji) is merely a dead man walking, as he will soon follow suit with many others that have been eliminated during the course of the year,” Buba stated during a press briefing in Abuja on December 31, 2024.