The Federal Government says it is taking concrete steps to secure the extradition of former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke, from the United Kingdom.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), made the call sequel to the earlier request for same made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) earlier in October.
The repatriation request invokes Section 2 (2) of Nigeria’s Extradition Act, CAP E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth.
The latter is a vital multilateral treaty that regulates extradition proceedings between the UK and Nigeria.
The anti-graft agency, EFCC, having built-up a strong case against the former minister, had established a prima facie case against Allison-Madueke and obtained a warrant of arrest before submitting the extradition request. However, the extradition process, known for its complexities and international legalities, is currently under review in the UK.
This development follows the EFCC’s recent efforts to extradite Allison-Madueke in connection with a $2.5bn (about N1,974,875,000.00million) fraud case, encompassing money laundering allegations spanning several jurisdictions, including Dubai, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Nigeria.
Allison-Madueke’s recent appearance in a UK court, where she faced charges related to an alleged £100,000 (about N95,640,290.00) bribe, marked a pivotal point in her legal battles.
The district judge granted her bail with stringent conditions including a curfew and electronic monitoring.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for today, October 30 at Southwark Crown Court, a venue renowned for handling serious criminal cases.
The UK’s National Crime Agency had previously voiced suspicions that Allison-Madueke had accepted bribes linked to multimillion-pound oil and gas contracts.
