Simon Ekpa: A Lesson In Justice Delivery

The caller condemnation of Simon Ekpa successful Norway is simply a large acquisition for Nigeria’s sluggish judicial strategy and renews the telephone for the expeditious probe and prosecution of suspects.

Ekpa, a self-styled Biafra separatist agitator based successful Finland, was engaged successful broadcasting incendiary messages that incited unit successful South-East Nigeria. The information that it took conscionable 10 months to reason his proceedings and jailhouse him for terror-related activities and taxation fraud speaks volumes astir the European country’s justness system—one that values efficiency, fairness, and nationalist security.

This improvement serves arsenic a almighty wake-up telephone for Nigeria—particularly erstwhile juxtaposed with the protracted and seemingly endless proceedings of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained person of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Following his apprehension and extradition to Nigeria successful June 2021, Kanu’s proceedings has dragged connected dogged by adjournments and ineligible gymnastics, with lawyers raising each mode of frivolous technicalities to prolong proceedings. In an interview, 1 of Kanu’s lawyers stated that the authorities has brought eleven amendments to the charges filed against the IPOB leader. In Ekpa’s case, Norwegian investigators thoroughly inquired into his activities, visiting Nigeria to cod applicable grounds earlier putting him connected proceedings and securing a condemnation wrong 10 months. Conversely, successful Nigeria, prosecutorial agencies often enactment suspects connected proceedings earlier gathering capable evidence, resulting successful prolonged detention and trial.

This is wherefore the awaiting proceedings inmates (ATIs) improvement remains a scar connected Nigeria’s justness system. According to August 2025 information from the Nigerian government, astir 67 per cent of inmates successful Nigerian correctional facilities are awaiting trial, galore of whom person not seen the wrong of a courtroom for respective years.

Similarly, hundreds of suspected terrorists arrested successful transportation with Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Ansaru, and different insurgent groups stay successful detention for years without conviction. In fact, galore high-profile panic suspects were, regrettably, among those who escaped during assorted jailbreaks. A coordinated onslaught by ISWAP, for example, led to the flight of 879 inmates, including 64 of the astir unsafe terrorists.

In 2022, reports emerged that implicit 400 panic suspects had been softly released owed to “lack of evidence” aft years successful custody without due prosecution. This is not justice; it is administrative negligence that undermines nationalist security. Every time that suspected terrorists languish successful indefinite detention, the authorities loses motivation authority, and the regularisation of instrumentality is weakened.

Nigeria indispensable larn from Ekpa’s speedy proceedings successful Norway. Delays successful adjudication bash overmuch to erode nationalist assurance successful the Nigerian judiciary.

Our state faces aggregate interior information crises—terrorism successful the North-East, banditry successful the North-West, separatist agitations successful the South-East, and wide kidnappings. The dilatory gait of justness has meant that unsafe elements are either emboldened by the deficiency of consequences oregon enabled to manipulate the strategy done ineligible hold tactics.

Since his re-arrest successful 2021, Nnamdi Kanu’s proceedings has symbolised everything incorrect with Nigeria’s transgression justness system. Endless adjournments, conflicting tribunal rulings, and the nonaccomplishment of information agencies to comply with bail orders oregon tribunal directives person turned what should beryllium a transparent ineligible process into governmental drama. Dragging his lawsuit connected for years lone fuels conspiracy theories, deepens taste mistrust, and perpetuates the content that the Nigerian authorities is either incompetent oregon selectively punitive.

Contrast that with the swift prosecution of Simon Ekpa successful Norway—a antheral whose alleged power connected unit successful Nigeria seems distant from European soil. If they tin enactment with resoluteness to neutralise threats abroad, however overmuch much should Nigeria beryllium capable to code threats wrong its ain borders?

The acquisition from Simon Ekpa’s condemnation is not simply astir velocity but organization will. Norway has demonstrated that nary individual—regardless of determination oregon ideology—is beyond the scope of justice. Nigeria indispensable bash the same.

The hue and outcry implicit an ineffective and inefficient justness transportation strategy has been large and long. However, the occupation persists. As a newspaper, we situation accidental that Nigeria’s ideology cannot thrive connected a malfunctioning judiciary that does not animate nationalist confidence.

Hence, judicial betterment is simply a indispensable to minimise adjournments and adjacent ineligible loopholes. Prosecutors and judges besides request due backing and training. The judiciary indispensable show governmental neutrality successful delicate tr...