Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has presented a warrant of arrest and an official extradition request to the Crown Prosecution Services of the United Kingdom for the immediate extradition of the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke. This action, initiated on the instructions of President Bola Tinubu, was prompted by a formal written request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the office of the AGF in October.
As reported by Punch, the extradition request from the AGF’s office referred to Section 2 (2) of Nigeria’s Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and “The Scheme,” also known as the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth. “The Scheme” is a multilateral treaty that governs extradition between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
A high-ranking source within the Federal Government revealed that the EFCC had built a prima facie case against Allison-Madueke, resulting in the issuance of a warrant of arrest by a magistrate. This certified true copy of the warrant was then attached to the extradition request sent to the UK government by the AGF under the President’s directives.
The delay in Diezani’s extradition from the UK to Nigeria is attributed to an ongoing internal review of the request by the UK authorities. The source explained that extradition processes can be intricate, as they are contingent on the recipient country’s approval. While Nigeria has made its request, the speed of Diezani’s return to Nigeria is determined by the UK, as they need to navigate their legal processes and address various international institutional challenges in place within the UK.
