AGF writes UK, requests Diezani’s extradition over alleged $2.5bn fraud

Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has sent a warrant of arrest request to the UK Crown Prosecution Services for the “urgent extradition” of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke over a $2.5bn fraud allegations.

Sunday PUNCH reports that the request was made on the orders of President Bola Tinubu following an official request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the office of the AGF.Read more

According to the report, a source within the corridors of power revealed that the office of the AGF cited Section 2 (2) of Nigeria’s Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth otherwise known as “The Scheme,” a multilateral treaty which governs extradition between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, in making the request.

The commission also noted that the money laundering charges against Alison-Madueke gives it coverage jurisdictions in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Nigeria.

“The EFCC established a prima facie case against Allison-Madueke in a letter to the office of the AGF, after which a magistrate was ordered to issue a warrant of arrest. The certified true copy of the warrant of arrest was then attached to the extradition request written to the UK government by the AGF on the orders of the President,” the source revealed.

READ ALSO:Diezani arraigned in UK court on bribery charges

“It is true that the AGF has submitted a warrant of arrest and written to the UK government for Diezani’s extradition to Nigeria, but extradition processes are usually cumbersome as it is subject to the approval of the recipient country.

“Nigeria has made its request, but the UK has to subject it to their laws, and other international institutional bottlenecks that are in place in the UK.

“So, it is the UK that’ll determine how fast Diezani will be returned to Nigeria.”

The EFCC had on October 2, commenced the extradition process forAlison-Madueke from the United Kingdom back to Nigeria over a 13-count charge bordering on money laundering levelled against her by the anti-graft agency.

The process began after the former Petroleum Minister appeared before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

She was granted a £70,000 bail with an imposition of an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, an electronic tag to be worn by her at all times and a surety to be paid before she could leave the court building.

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