Court issues fresh warrant for Diezani’s arrest

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant against a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, over corruption allegations.

Justice Bolaji Olajuwon on Monday issued the fresh warrant following an oral application by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farouk Abdullah.

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Justice Olajuwon granted the application and adjourned the matter indefinitely pending the arrest of Alison-Madueke.

Abdulahi had in requesting the court to issue the warrant argued that it will enable all law enforcement agencies and the INTERPOL to arrest her anywhere and produce her in court to answer to the allegations against her as the initial warrant by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, now transferred.

The warrant is among the series of summons and warrants issued by courts for the extradition of the former minister since her departure to the UK in 2015.

Justice Valentine Ashi (now deceased) of the FCT High Court in December 2018, and Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in July 2020, granted the EFCC and other security agencies powers to arrest the ex-minister.

However, Justice Ojukwu had on October 28, 2020, refused EFCC’s application for a new warrant of arrest against Alison-Madueke because the commission did not attach affidavit evidence that previous extradition summons granted it had failed.

EFCC had informed the court that Diezani has questions to answer about 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.”

Another question which EFCC has raised is on “her role in the chartering of private jets by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Ministry of Petroleum Resources and alleged financing the 2015 general elections, “particularly the money that were warehoused in a bank in 2015 before the elections.”

The EFCC further said it equally wanted the ex-Minister to speak on several items, documents, and pieces of jewellery recovered from her house at No: 10 Chiluba Close off Jose Marti Street, Asokoro, Abuja, and some identified properties that are linked to her’ In Nigeria, UK, United States of America (USA), United Arab Emirate (UAE) and South Africa.