The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has stated that the Nigerian government is working closely with the Finnish authorities to extradite Simon Ekpa for prosecution over offences allegedly committed against the country’s national security and sovereignty.
The AGF disclosed this on Thursday during the quarterly stakeholders and citizens’ engagement programme organised by the Ministry of Justice at its headquarters in Abuja.
He assured stakeholders that Ekpa’s case would not be abandoned, emphasising that, upon his extradition to Nigeria, the state would pursue the matter diligently.
‘Simon Ekpa’s offence is a cross-border offence. If he committed an offence there and committed another one here, we cannot request his release to us until they have dealt with him. After that, we can request his extradition’, he said.
Fagbemi reiterated: ‘Simon Ekpa committed offences both there and here’.
The AGF further stressed that one of the Ministry’s critical mandates is to foster collaboration and cooperation with the international community to ensure that criminals find no safe haven.
He highlighted successes in extraditions, citing the cases of Hassan Bun Hussein Abolore Lawal and Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, extradited to the United States in January and March 2025, respectively.
Additionally, he mentioned the extradition of Benjamin Nnanyereugo, also known as Killaboi, from Qatar to Nigeria in April 2025 to face murder charges for the killing of Augusta, his girlfriend.
On terrorism, Fagbemi revealed that the Ministry successfully conducted 237 terrorism cases between December 9 and 13, 2024, leading to the prosecution and conviction of 226 suspects.
He announced the establishment of a Joint Case Team on cybercrime to foster inter-agency collaboration, improve investigations, and ensure effective prosecutions in line with global best practices.
The AGF highlighted notable progress in asset recovery and management, including the gazetting of the Proceeds of Crime Regulations, 2024, which standardises automated asset forfeiture management.
He said a National Database on Asset Recovery and Management was also developed to ensure transparency.
He reported that Nigeria executed an Asset Sharing Agreement with the United States on 10 January 2025, resulting in the repatriation of $52,882,018.95. Of this, $50 million will fund the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) Project, aimed at providing electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians, while the remaining $2.88 million will support counter-terrorism capacity building.
The minister noted that discussions are ongoing with jurisdictions such as the United States, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and France to repatriate additional funds.
The AGF further disclosed that the Ministry is reviewing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act to better protect vulnerable groups, adding that proposed reforms include enhanced victim protections, revised penalties, and a Victims’ Support Fund.
He stated that the Ministry secured six convictions for sexual and gender-based violence, including the conviction of Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu.
To address child-sensitive justice, the AGF highlighted the review of the Borstal Institutions and Remand Centre Act, 2004, and the development of the Children and Youth Correctional Institutions Bill, 2004.
He said the reforms aim to rehabilitate and reintegrate children involved in terrorist activities in line with international child rights standards.
He also emphasised the importance of collaborating with civil society, traditional institutions, and other stakeholders to uphold restorative justice approaches that prioritise the welfare of women, children, and vulnerable persons.
