Justice Valentine Ashi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court,
sitting in Apo, Abuja, on December 4, 2018, ordered the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigerian Police Force, the
Department of States Security Service and all other security agencies to
apprehend and arrest a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani
Alison Madueke within 72 hours. According to a statement released by
EFCC, the order was made following a motion ex parte made before the
court 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. Continue to read the statement belowThe 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.Investigations into the petition
revealed that Madueke as supervising minister of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, was found to have 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.Recall that when the matter came up on December 3,
2018 the Commission however filed 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.Court gives EFCC, DSS, police 72 hours to produce Diezani Alison-Madueke
Justice Valentine Ashi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court,
sitting in Apo, Abuja, on December 4, 2018, ordered the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigerian Police Force, the
Department of States Security Service and all other security agencies to
apprehend and arrest a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani
Alison Madueke within 72 hours. According to a statement released by
EFCC, the order was made following a motion ex parte made before the
court 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. Continue to read the statement belowThe 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.Investigations into the petition
revealed that Madueke as supervising minister of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, was found to have 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.Recall that when the matter came up on December 3,
2018 the Commission however filed 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.
