The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has refuted media reports claiming that the Federal Government has begun extradition proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a factional leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement released on Friday by his Special Assistant on Communication and Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the AGF clarified that the reports misrepresented his comments made at a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja on Thursday.
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The statement read, “The attention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has been drawn to media reports where he was erroneously reported to have said that the federal government had commenced an extradition process against Simon Ekpa. The report is untrue and a complete departure from what the AGF said at the Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum held on Thursday in Abuja. Ekpa, a leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently standing trial in Finland for charges filed against him by the Finnish government.”
According to the statement, Fagbemi had only explained that the Nigerian government was in discussions with Finnish authorities to ensure Ekpa is held responsible for his actions, as he is currently facing trial in Finland.
“To set the record straight, what the AGF said during the question and answer session was that the Nigerian government had been engaging with Finnish authorities to ensure that Simon Ekpa is held accountable for his actions. He explained that since the crimes committed by Simon Ekpa were cross-border in nature, the Nigerian government eagerly awaits the outcome of the proposed trial in Finland to have an informed decision on the next step to take,” the statement added.
Fagbemi urged the media to be cautious in their reporting on this issue and to avoid publishing speculative claims.
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