
Claim: A Facebook user alleged that Simon Ekpa, the Finnish-Nigerian leader of a proscribed Biafra separatist group, will be extradited from Finland to Nigeria in July 2025 to face trial for terrorism charges.

Verdict: False! Contrary to viral posts on Facebook and X, there is no credible evidence that Simon Ekpa will be extradited to Nigeria in July 2025.
Full Text
From all indications, Simon Ekpa has, over time, become quite the spectacle to his supporters and followers. This is also a significant challenge for fact-checkers due to the sheer volume of misinformation surrounding his activities and the complexity of verifying claims related to him.
While his arrest by Finnish authorities in November 2024 on terrorism-related charges stemming from his online activities did not mark the end of the IPOB agenda or halt the spread of outrageous claims from other parties involved online, it has reduced the volume of misinformation coming directly from him.
In March 2025, the Nigeria Sanctions Committee named Simon Ekpa and 16 other individuals and organisations as alleged terrorism financiers and froze their assets. This move was part of a broader international effort to counter terrorist funding and other destabilising activities linked to Ekpa’s movement. Even if extradited to Nigeria, Ekpa would still face separate charges in his home country.
Amidst these, a Facebook user, @Nigerianews, now shared a photo of Simon Ekpa on April 23, 2025, with the caption: “Simon Ekpa to be extradited to Nigeria on July 15 to face charges of treason, terrorism, and other allied charges.”
When DUBAWA reviewed the post on May 6, 2025, it had six comments, seven likes, and 35 views. The claim also appeared on several other Facebook accounts here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Following months of diplomatic discussions between Nigeria and Finland, many of these posts claimed that Finnish authorities had confirmed the extradition.
In the comments section, a user named @Adajo reacted to the post, saying: “Now he will understand the importance of freedom.”
Another user,@JoeIbe, replied: “Calm down, it is a mission impossible.”
The same claim also appeared on X on April 22, 2025, posted by @Aje, who stated that Ekpa would be transferred from Finland to Nigeria on July 15, 2025, following a ruling by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Lahti on April 18, 2025. The post included a photo of Ekpa behind bars.
Given the virality of the claim and how quickly people are to believe what they see online without verification, DUBAWA decided to investigate the accuracy of the information.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted online searches through the official website of the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland and checked reports from the Finnish and Nigerian media. There was no credible evidence that a Finnish court had set a date for the extradition of Simon Ekpa to Nigeria.
Although older reports and public statements, such as remarks by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, hinted at the possibility of extradition, they did not provide a specific date as the claim suggests.
DUBAWA found a BBC report confirming that Simon Ekpa’s lawyer, Kaarle Gummerus, debunked the extradition claim. In the interview, the lawyer clarified that the separatist leader is expected to appear in a Finnish court in June 2025 for pre-trial hearings, not extradition proceedings.
Further, The Punch reported that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), confirmed the ongoing legal complexities regarding Ekpa’s extradition. While Nigeria is in discussions with Finnish authorities, significant legal challenges are delaying progress.
Fagbemi clarified that Ekpa will not be extradited until Finnish authorities complete their trial proceedings, a position that aligns with that of Ekpa’s lawyer.
Ekpa, a dual citizen of Nigeria and Finland, remains in detention. The legal process for his possible extradition remains unclear.
A reverse Image search of the photo included in the post on X revealed that the image was edited to superimpose Ekpa’s face onto a stock photo. The original image, which features a man in an orange jumpsuit behind bars, was uploaded to Alamy on Feb. 13, 2018.
Conclusion
The claim that Simon Ekpa’s imminent extradition from Finland to Nigeria is false. No credible sources confirm such a decision, and his lawyer has also clarified that his client only has pre-trial hearings in court.