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Finnish Court Approves Simon Ekpa’s Extradition to Nigeria in July

Simon Ekpa Bags Six-Year Jail Term in Finland

Fola Badmus03 mins

Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Finnish court for terrorism, tax fraud and an ethical violation. Ekpa, who lives in Finland, heads the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) group, which has been allegedly responsible for killings and abductions of hundreds of people in Nigeria’s south-eastern region. The Finnish court said on Monday that Ekpa was sentenced to prison for participating in the activities of a terrorist group, public incitement to commit a crime for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud and violating the provisions of the Lawyers Act. The court said he pushed for the independence of a separatist region in Nigeria through “illegal means” and “equipped the groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his contact network.” In 2024, the Nigerian military declared Ekpa wanted as part of nearly 100 people sought on charges of terrorism. After his arrest in Finland, the Nigerian government sought his extradition. For years, IPOB has sought to reignite a failed secession push by former Biafra. Biafra was a short-lived country that comprised Nigeria’s south-eastern states, including future oil-producing areas. The Nigerian military government rejected the secession, which led to a civil war between 1967 and 1970, in which at least 3 million people died. The group was banned in Nigeria in 2017. Ekpa took over from Nnamdi Kanu, the group’s founder who was arrested by Interpol in a sting operation in 2021 in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria. Kanu has since been in prison, with his trial still ongoing. In response to Kanu’s arrest, the group forbade any commercial activity every Monday in the region, a disruption that has been ongoing since 2021. The “sit-at-home” protests led to 700 deaths, according to a count by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based geopolitical risk advisory, and cost the Nigerian economy 7.6 trillion naira (€4.09 billion).

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Equatorial Guinea Official Baltasar Engonga Bags 8-Year Jail Term

Fola Badmus01 mins

A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a former senior government official, to eight years in prison for embezzlement. Engonga became famous after sextapes involving him and several women leaked online. According to Hilario Mitogo, press director of the Supreme Court, the Bioko provincial tribunal found Engonga guilty of diverting funds meant for professional travel expenses for personal use. He was also fined $220,000. Engonga, a former head of the national financial investigation agency, was tried alongside five other senior officials accused of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds. The case follows his detention in November, when videos of him with women, including the spouses of other officials, surfaced on social media while investigations into the embezzlement charges were ongoing.

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Lagos Court Jails Eight Filipinos for Cyber-terrorism, Internet Fraud

Fola Badmus03 mins

Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, convicted and sentenced eight Filipinos to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud. The convicts are: Beverlyn Casino, Mae Eribal, Mary Grace Dela Cruz, Jamal Polea, Tricia Castro, Rai Camara, Cherry De Leon and Danica Jarapan. They were arraigned on Tuesday by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on separate charges of possession of fraudulent documents. One of the counts reads: “That you, Beverlyn Casino sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.” They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them. In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, N.K. Ukoha, prayed the court to convict the defendants as charged. Justice Owoeye convicted and sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each, with a fine of N1,000,000.00( One Million Naira). The Judge also ordered the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days upon completion of their sentences. The devices recovered from the defendants were also ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when they were arrested by operatives of the EFCC for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud. They are among the 792 suspects rounded up in December 2024 in Victoria Island, Lagos. They were charged to court and jailed.

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Man bags 17-year jail term for defiling 7-year old

Fola Badmus02 mins

Justice Rahman Oshodi, of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday, 18th February, 2025, convicted and sentenced a man, Sunday Okoronkwo, to 17 years imprisonment at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, for defiling his neighbour’s seven-year-old granddaughter. His name will be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register as maintained by Lagos State. The trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, sentenced Okoronkwo following his guilty plea to the amended two counts of child sexual abuse by penetration. Oshodi said: “You sexually abused a seven-year-old child who was your neighbour’s granddaughter.” “The prosecutrix’s evidence, which was corroborated by both your confessions, established that you had sexual intercourse with her.” “You have elected to enter into a plea bargain agreement wherein you pleaded guilty to attempting to commit sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault. “The maximum sentence for attempting to commit sexual assault by penetration is 14 years imprisonment, whilst sexual assault carries a maximum term of three years imprisonment.” According to the prosecution, the offences contravened Sections 262 and 263 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. Okoronkwo was therefore sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on count one and 3 years imprisonment on count two and both jail terms would run consecutively.

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Four drug lords bag 28-yr jail term, forfeit houses, N67m, $50,000

Fola Badmus07 mins

Four drug kingpins arrested in connection with the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022 have been convicted by a Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro who sentenced them to various jail terms totaling twenty-eight (28) years with hard labour. The convicts: Soji Jubril Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican, were charged with six counts in charge number: FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December 2022, while the trial of the fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday arraigned along with them is still ongoing in court. The charges border on conspiracy to form and operate a drug trafficking organization (DTO); management and financing of a DTO; importation and possession of 2,139.55 kilograms of cocaine, among others. Operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA had in a well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation on Sunday 18th September, 2022 raided a house located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, Lagos where the over 2.1 tons of cocaine were seized, the largest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s anti-narcotic operations. The drug kingpins were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between the night of Sunday 18th and Monday 19th September, 2022. After over two years of diligent prosecution, the trial judge handed the Jamaican, Kelvin Christopher Smith four years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Arinze Chukwu got a total of 16 years; Soji Jubril Oke got five years with hard labour and Wasiu Akinade three years with hard labour. The trial judge however gave the convicts varying options of fine with the exception of one of them who will serve his full jail term without an option of fine. They were also to forfeit a grey colour Toyota Tacoma SUV marked AAA-734HT registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu; $50,000:00 USD (Fifty Thousand US Dollars) belonging to Chukwu; N55,099,509.50 (Fifty-Five Million, Ninety-Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Nine Naira, Fifty Kobo only) also belonging to Chukwu; the sum of N9,003,168.06 (Nine Million Three Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Eight Naira Six Kobo only) belonging to Wasiu Akinade and N3,052,295.20 (Three Million, Fifty Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety Five Naira Twenty Kobo only), also belonging to Akinade. The Agency also in another suit marked FHC/L/MISC/672/2024 and filed before Justice Bogoro on 9th December 2024 after an initial interim forfeiture order, secured the final forfeiture of two houses linked to members of the drug cartel. According to the trial court: “That an Order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Landed Property/House Number 6 Olokunola Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu Lagos, Lagos State, as contained in Exhibit NDLEA 2A, 2B, and 2C attached to this application used for the storage and concealment of 2,139.55kg (More Than Two Tons) Cocaine, an illicit substance similar to Heroin and LSD. “That an Order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Landed Property/House Number J9, Road 3, Close 1, Victoria Garden City (VGC) Estate, Lagos, Lagos State, as contained in Exhibit NDLEA 3 attached to this application reasonably believed to be bought with proceeds derived from trafficking in illicit drug substances (proceeds of crime) as in relief 1 of this Motion. “That an Order is granted directing the sale or disposal by any other means provided by law of the forfeited House/Landed Property by the Applicant and the payment of the proceeds therefrom to the Federal Government of Nigeria.” While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation and prosecution of members of the drug cartel, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the case is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll not only go to jail but will equally lose all their investments in illicit drug consignments including all the properties and wealth acquired through the criminal trade.

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