Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, has attributed the Nigerian government’s failure to properly prosecute former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, for over eight years to the complex legal procedures involved in extradition.
Alison-Madueke is accused of embezzling millions of dollars from Nigerian public funds during her tenure as minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She has been residing in the United Kingdom since the conclusion of Jonathan’s administration and has been unable to appear before Nigerian courts, where legal proceedings have been initiated against her.
Read Also: FG Receives $52.88m Recovered Assets Linked To Diezani
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Shittu explained that the lengthy and difficult extradition process is the primary reason why Alison-Madueke has not faced trial in Nigeria.
“You know the extradition procedures of getting somebody who has taken flight from one country to another country involves some legal compliance procedures that must be satisfied before somebody can be brought or extradited from another country to Nigeria.
“There are judicial procedures, there are also some administrative international procedures that must be complied with.
“I think efforts are being made by successive Nigerian governments, particularly this administration to ensure that those who have fled the country particularly Diezani are extradited back to the country to face their trials.
“That difficulty is because you have legal and extra-legal hurdles to surmount if this is to be achieved,” Shittu said.
On Friday, the Nigerian government received $52.88 million in recovered Galactica assets connected to Diezani Alison-Madueke from the United States.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, announced this during the formal signing ceremony of the asset repatriation agreement between Nigeria and the United States in Abuja.
Fagbemi clarified that $50 million of the recovered assets would be allocated through the World Bank for a rural electrification project, while the remaining $2 million would be directed to the International Institute of Justice to enhance the justice system and combat corruption.
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