A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to grant an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, counsel for the EFCC, Farouk Abdullah reminded the court of its previous orders not complied with, and since the defendant was not in court, the EFCC urged the court to issue an arrest warrant against Allison – Madueke
He also said the commission has liaised with the office of AGF and Minister of Justice to get in touch with any country that may be hosting the defendant for the purposes of extradition .
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu held that an affidavit of evidence to proof that the earlier court summon granted the agency had failed in the extradition of Diezani must be filed by the commission before another request could be made.
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Ojukwu noted that the EFCC had informed the court that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice hinted that the arrest warrant was needed to further give the International Police (INTERPOL) the legal power to bring the defendant to Nigeria to answer to charges against her.
The judge, however, said it would give the anti-graft agency more room to put its house in order in the trial of the ex minister and adjourned the matter til Dec. 3 for report and arraignment of the defendant.
The court had, on July 24, ordered the former minister to appear before it and answer to the money laundering charge filed against her by the EFCC.
The EFCC had accused the former minister of fleeing the country for the UK in order to escape justice in her role as the Minister of Petroleum Resources and her role in the award of Strategic Alliance Agreement, SAA, to Septa Energy Limited, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited by NNPC among several others
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
