UK rejected Diezani’s extradition request, says AIG

An Assistant Inspector General of Police and Chief of the National Central Bureau, INTERPOL Nigeria, Garba Umar, revealed on Thursday why the federal government failed to extradite a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke on charges of corruption and trial.

Umar claimed that the British government’s request for Alison-Madueke’s extradition.

The AIG noted that while being grilled by members of the committee, the Nigerian government followed due process in seeking mutual legal assistance from the United Kingdom, but the demand was ignored as the ex-minister also went to court in the UK stepped in to thwart the process. .

Umar answered questions from lawmakers and explained why the move was successful in the cases of a former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina; and a former Attorney General of the Federation, Bello Adoke (SAN).

“Regarding aid – seeking help, if you recall, we have repatriated many Nigerians who allegedly defrauded the Nigerian government. I personally went and brought Maina from (Republic of) Niger.

“I have recovered the former Attorney General of the Federation from Dubai and many other Nigerians who have gone into hiding. We brought them back to be tried and those who are hiding in Nigeria we have taken back to their different countries to be tried,” he said.

A member of the committee, Jude Ngaji, who represents the federal constituency of Ogoja/Yala in Cross River state, specifically asked why Nigerian authorities could not return Alison-Madueke to the country to face trial.

In response to Ngaji’s question, Umar said, ‘The issue of Diezani, an arrest warrant has been issued. I am sorry to say that the UK Government has rejected our request. We followed the MLA – you can guess, that’s mutual legal assistance – to bring her back home. She went to court because they say they have a system in place where our…don’t let me go there.”