A Federal High Court Judge on Tuesday gave the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) the Department of State Services (DSS) and the
Nigeria Police 72 hours, to arrest Diezani Alison-Madueke, former
petroleum minister.
Diezani is currently in London. Justice Valentine Ashi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court,
sitting in Apo, Abuja, made the order following a motion ex parte moved
by counsel to the EFCC, Msuur Denga, praying for an order of the court,
to issue a warrant of arrest against Madueke, to enable the Commission
apprehend and arraign her for alleged financial crimes in Nigeria.
The EFCC investigated the former minister along with Jide Omokore, a
former Chairman, Atlantic Energy Drilling Company, following a petition
dated October 2, 2013, from Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL,
bordering on money laundering and official corruption.
According to CACOL, Madueke as supervising minister of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), engaged in illicit and monumental
fraudulent dealings in oil transactions, which she entered into on
behalf of the Federal Government.
Madueke and Omokore, are also alleged to have accepted and given
gifts in properties located at Penthouse 22, Block B, Admiralty Estate,
Ikoyi, and Penthouse 21, Building 5, Block C, Banana Island, Lagos.
They are to be arraigned on February 25, 2019 on a five-count charge
for the offences, which are contrary to Sections 26(1) of the Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
When the matter came up on December 3, 2018 the Commission filed an
application for warrant of arrest, condition precedent for Deziani’s
extradition protocol to bring her back home to face trail.
The prosecution told the court that Diezani, who is currently in the
United Kingdom, jetted out of the country while investigations into the
alleged fraudulent acts were ongoing.
The court today, granted the ex parte motion, and ordered the
security agencies to provide Madueke within 72 hours, for her to face
the charge preferred against her.
“The Inspector General of Police, the Chairman of the EFCC, the
Attorney General, the Department of State Services, are hereby ordered
in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria to apprehend
and arrest the first defendant and produce her before this court for
further directives within 72 hours”, the judge held.