Federal High Court Issues Arrest Warrant Against Allison-Madueke
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday issued a warrant of arrest on former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The presiding judge of the Court, Justice Bolaji Olajuwon granted the request, after listening to the oral application of the Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farouk Abdullah.
The former Petroleum Minister is believed to be residing in the United Kingdom.
The court had fixed November 3, 2021 for the EFCC to give a report on its effort at extraditing Alison-Madueke to Nigeria to stand trial, and for possible mention of the case.
However, on the adjourned date, the case was stalled as neither Abdullah nor Alison-Madueke was in court which led Justice Olajuwon to have fixed January 24, 2022 for the possible mention of the matter.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu was initially the presiding judge in the case which was reassigned to Justice Olajuwon, following the transfer of Ojukwu to the Calabar Division of the Federal High Court.
Justice Ojukwu had on October 28, 2020, rejected the prayers of the EFCC for the issue of a warrant of arrest against Alison-Madueke, citing the commission’s failure to enforce the earlier criminal summons, which the court issued on her since July 24, 2020, stressing that court orders are not made in vain.
The EFCC had requested for the criminal summons in July 2020, saying that it was required to facilitate Alison-Madueke’s extradition to Nigeria.
But faced with the failure of Alison-Madueke to honour the summons, the EFCC’s counsel prayed the Court to issue a warrant of arrest against her, adding that the extradition process failed as a result of the absence of the warrant of arrest.
Justice Ojukwu while turning down the EFCC’s request, directed its lawyer to file an affidavit to that effect supported by evidence from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Ojukwu thereafter adjourned for report and possible arraignment of Alison-Madueke.
But, when the matter was called on Monday, Abdullah, who was in court reported that all efforts by the agency to get the Alison-Madueke extradited when the matter was before Ojukwu were unsuccessful.
Abdullah in an oral application for an arrest warrant, said the application was part of the requirements by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for the former Minister’s extradition, adding that the arrest warrant was needed to further give the International Police (INTERPOL) the impetus to bring the defendant to Nigeria to answer to charges against her.
Justice Olajuwon accordingly granted the application and adjourned the matter sine die pending when the Alison-Madueke is arrested and brought before the Court.
The EFCC alleged that the former Minister flee the country for the UK to escape justice, among others.
Counsel to the EFCC in a document filed along with the motion ex-parte, said it sought to question Alison-Madueke, without success, in relation to many allegations against her, including “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.
The EFCC also said that it wants Alison-Madueke to respond to questions about her role in the chartering of private jets by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Ministry of Petroleum Resources and her role in the award of contracts by NNPC to Marine and Logistics Services Limited.
Abdallah said the agency was investigating Alison-Madueke‘s business relationships with Mr Donald Amamgbo, Mr Afam Nwokedi, Chief lkpea Leemon, Miss Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde, Mr Benedict Peters, Christopher Aire, Harcourt Adukeh, Julian Osula, Dauda Lawal, Nnamdi Okonkwo, Mr Leno Laithan, Sahara Energy Group and Midwestern Oil Limited, among others.
He added that Alison-Madueke was also needed to clear the air on her role in financing the 2015 general elections, particularly the money that were warehoused at Fidelity Bank Plc in 2015 prior to the elections among others.
The Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa in the April 2021 edition of the agency’s in-house magazine, announced that the agency recovered 153 million dollars from Alison-Madueke, adding that the it also recovered the final forfeiture of over 80 property in Nigeria valued at about $80 million from the former minister.
