The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant against a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in the United Kingdom, over corruption charges pending against her.
This is the second arrest warrant to be issued against the ex-minister, since she left office in 2015.
A Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), late Valentine Ashi had on December 4, 2018, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Police Force, the States Security Service (SSS), and all other security agencies to arrest her within 72 hours.
The matter was later taken to the Federal High Court in Abuja where the EFCC filed 13 counts of money laundering against Alison-Madueke in anticipation of her extradition to Nigeria.
On July 24, 2020, Ijeoma Ojukwu, the judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, handling the matter, issued summons for the former minster to appear to answer to the charges preferred against her.
Ms Alison-Madueke ignored the summons which, anyway, could not be confirmed was served on her.
EFCC subsequently requested the judge to issue a warrant of arrest against the former minister.
But the judge turned down the request, insisting that the summons she issued was sufficient to process her extradition to Nigeria to face her trial, adding that she would not issue another order in vain.
However, Justice Bolaji Olajuwon on Monday, issued the order after he heard an oral application the EFCC made through its lawyer, Farouk Abdullah.
EFCC said its investigations revealed that the ex-Minister who is facing several money-laundering allegations, has remained in her hideout in the UK and refused to return to the country to enter her plea to charges against her.
Abdullah told the court that all efforts by the agency to get the ex-Minister extradited back to the country proved abortive. Stressing that the warrant would enable the EFCC to persuade the International Police (INTERPOL) to arrest Diezani and also help the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to facilitate her extradition.
The application was anchored on section 83 (1b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.
“We urge my lord to issue an arrest warrant against Alison-Madueke, who is believed to be in the UK to enable all law enforcement agencies and the INTERPOL to arrest her anywhere she is sighted and be brought before this court to answer to the allegation made against her, ” EFCC’s lawyer added.
Justice Olajuwon, after he had listened to the application, granted it as prayed, even as he adjourned the case sine die (indefinitely) to await the arrest and extradition of the Defendant.
