The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has initiated the process for the extradition of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, from the United Kingdom to Nigeria
This follows an official request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Attorney-General’s office earlier in October 2022, citing a prima facie case against Mrs Alison-Madueke. On the orders of President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney-General subsequently submitted a warrant of arrest and formal extradition request to the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service.
The extradition request was made under the Extradition Act of Nigeria and the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth. It included a certified copy of the arrest warrant issued by a Nigerian magistrate.
Mrs Alison-Madueke is wanted in Nigeria to face 13 counts of money laundering involving jurisdictions in the UK, UAE, US and Nigeria. The EFCC alleges she stole $2.5 billion while serving as Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration between 2010-2015.
The former minister is currently on bail and facing trial in the UK over alleged bribery during her tenure as Minister. The UK’s National Crime Agency has also been investigating her for allegedly receiving kickbacks for awarding lucrative oil and gas contracts.
While the extradition process is typically lengthy and subject to approval by the recipient country, the Nigerian government hopes the UK will determine the request speedily and return Mrs Alison-Madueke to face charges in Nigeria.
Earlier this year, the former minister challenged the forfeiture of her assets in Nigeria secured by the EFCC. She also sued the EFCC and Attorney-General’s office over what she termed a false attempt to paint her as a “common criminal.”
The extradition request signals the Nigerian government’s determination to have Mrs Alison-Madueke repatriated to face corruption charges in the country. However, the timeline for her possible return to Nigeria remains uncertain pending the outcome of the UK’s review.
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