As Finnish Court finished Simon Ekpa in record time, what lesson has Nigeria’s judiciary learnt?

By Samson Atekojo Usman

When news of the sentencing of Nigerian-Finland Simon Njoku Ekpa hit the airwaves on Monday September 1, 2025 over terrorism related offences, it was justice delivered in record time, not because he was sent to prison for six years; it could have been the over way too, but the Finnish Court carried out what is ‘justice’ by all standards.

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Having been arrested on November 21, 2024, the trial of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader lasted for ten months and had it not been conviction, he would have also been free after ten and wouldn’t suffer injustice by the endless dragging of his trials.

The Finnish Court found him guilty of terrorism related offences by weaponsing his foot soldiers back home in Nigeria. A development that orchestrated the deadliest insecurity in the South East Nigeria and if Simon Njoku Ekpa was to be tried in Nigeria even as a Nigerian and in Nigerian Courts, presided by Nigerian judges, the trial would have been so sorry.

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The question is? Is the trial of a criminal suspect in a Nigerian Court of justice a ‘rocket science’? Certainly it’s not, but the challenges of trying a suspect could last for over 21 years in Nigerian Courts. This is due to bribery, kickbacks, tribal and religious interest, political interest and other judicial baggage that are threatening the very fabrics of the judiciary.

The prompt delivery of judgement in the terrorism case of Simon Ekpa in far away Finland should be something that the handlers of Nigeria’s judicial system should visit Finland a refresher course. In that way, it will help them adjudicate properly as Minister in the temple of justice. Long trial of a suspect for whatever reason is in itself an injustice as a suspect is innocent until he or she is found guilty by a competent court of justice.

After a long and over dragged trial of a suspect only for the suspect to have been found innocent makes mockery of the judicial system as it amount to “ius iniustitia”, which paint a bizarre scenario of an unworkable and lazy judicial system that may incur legal liability for the innocent citizens to pay.

Sadly, many suspects are awaiting trials across the nation’s correctional facilities or have their trials stalled on the altar of personal interest. Some popular agitators who are in detention have become the election-winning strategy of some politicians from their zone. A politician that want to win election, will start talking about releasing a suspect during the electioneering campaign and after winning election, he goes back to his cocoons.

When the Courts are enmeshed in injustice, the repercussion is jailbreak and overstressed facilities that cost government the more of hard earned resources.

Ekpa may be extradited to serve his prison terms in Nigeria, depending on his citizenship status, but for sure after serving out his prison term, his criminal trial in Nigeria will start ‘de novo’ and his trial in Nigeria may linger for more than ten years of what took Finland to conclude in ten months.

Samson Atekojo Usman writes from Abuja and can be reached at capitalpost20@gmail.com

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