Alleged $2.5Bn Fraud: FG Writes UK, Seeks Fresh Extradition of Diezani Alison-Madueke

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The federal government has made a fresh request to the United Kingdom government, for the extradition of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The fresh request is said to be related to a $2.5 billion fraud, involving the former Minister, who left Nigeria since 2015.
Alison-Madueke has since then been in the UK until recently when the government there arraigned her on charges bordering on bribery said to have been committed in the UK.

However, barely six months into the Tinubu’s administration, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, it was learnt, has made a request to the UK government for the extradition of the Mrs Allison-Madueke.
It was also learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had officially written to the office of the Minister of Justice early in the month for Diezani’s arrest and subsequent extradition.

The anti-graft agency had predicated its request on grounds that a prima facie case has been established against Allison-Madueke, prompting a magistrate to issue the warrant of arrest.
This certified warrant was then attached to the extradition request submitted to the UK government by the AGF on the orders of President Tinubu.
The extradition request is based on Nigeria’s Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth, commonly known as “The Scheme.”

This multilateral treaty governs extradition between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Meanwhile, an ongoing internal review by the UK government has been blamed for the delay in bringing the former minister back to Nigeria.
Extradition processes are typically intricate and subject to the approval of the recipient country, in this case, the UK. An informal interagency collaboration between the EFCC and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has played a pivotal role in the ongoing trial of Alison-Madueke at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.

Recalling previous developments, the EFCC had disclosed on October 2 that it had commenced the extradition of Alison-Madueke from the UK to Nigeria. She faces 13-count charges related to money laundering, which were brought against her by the anti-graft agency.
 These charges span across jurisdictions in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Nigeria.
Few weeks ago, precisely in August, the UK’s National Crime Agency had accused Diezani of accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts, leading to her being charged in court.

She was arraigned before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London early October over allegations on bribery to the tune of £100,000, and was admitted to bail in the sum of £70,000, by the District Judge Michael Snow.
As part of conditions attached to the bail, the former minister was ordered to observe an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, while wearing an electronic tag at all times.
Meanwhile, Diezani is expected to be at Southwark Crown Court, today which handles serious criminal cases as part of continuation of her trial in the UK.
Recall, that several efforts by the EFCC to get Diezani extradited to Nigeria in the past were unsuccessful.