Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, issued an arrest warrant against the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke, fled Nigeria in May, 2015, shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner of the presidential election. She is believed to be residing in the United Kingdom.
Justice Olajuwon made the order following an oral application by Farouk Abdullah, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The matter was reassigned to Justice Olajuwon following the transfer of tje former trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu to the Calabar division of the court.
At the resumption of the case before Justice Olajuwon on Monday, Abdullah had told the court that all efforts by the anti-graft agency to get the defendant extradited when the matter was before Justice Ojukwu were unsuccessful.
The EFCC lawyer said the warrant order was part of the mandatory requirements by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to process the extradition of the ex-minister.
Besides, he said that the arrest warrant will give the International Police (INTERPOL) the impetus to arrest the defendant and bring her back to Nigeria to answer to charges against her.
After hearing the oral application by the EFCC’s lawyer, Justice Olajuwon granted the application and adjourned the matter sine die (indefinitely) pending when the defendant is arrested and produced in court.
Abdullah, had in the application, prayed the court to issue an arrest warrant against Alison-Madueke, who is believed to be in the United Kingdom to enable all law enforcement agencies and the INTERPOL to arrest her anywhere she is sighted and brought before the court to answer to the allegation against her.
According to the lawyer, the initial summon had not been able to achieve the desired result, thus the need for the warrant of arrest.
The court had on July 24, 2020, ordered the former minister to appear before it and answer to the money laundering charge filed against her by the EFCC.
In an ex-parte motion brought by Abdullah, the EFCC had accused the former minister of fleeing the country for the UK in order to escape justice, among others.
In a document attached to the application, the EFCC said it sought to question the ex-minister in relation to many allegations against her, including but not limited to “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 Commission also wanted Mrs. 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 also 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.
She was also required 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 as well as several items, documents recovered from her house at No: 10, Chiluba Close, off Jose Marti Street, Asokoro, Abuja, and some identified property that were linked to her In Nigeria, UK, U.S., United Arab Emirate and South Africa.
NAN reports that the EFCC Chairman, Abdultasheed Bawa in the April 2021 edition of the agency’s in-house magazine, disclosed that the anti-corruption commission recovered 153 million dollars from Alison-Madueke.
Bawa said the agency also recovered the final forfeiture of over 80 property in Nigeria valued at about $80 million from the former minister, who has been living in the UK since leaving office some years ago.
The EFCC boss said he would want the former minister to face trial in Nigeria. Besides, as part of the ongoing investigations of the former Petroleum Minister, the EFCC. on Dec. 15, 2021, said it arrested a former Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nnamdi Okonkwo, allegedly over an additional $72.87 million still in the coffers of the bank.
Okonkwo and Charles Onyedibe were quizzed by operatives over the latest discovery. Okonkwo, who is the chairman of First Bank Holding, alongside others, had earlier been grilled over $153million and another $115 million by the commission.
While all the $153 million were recovered by the EFCC, the cases involving $115 million, as it relates with the Independent National Electoral Commission bribery matter, are in various courts. the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, had disclosed in a statement.