Category: News

The fresh request is said to be related to a $2.5 billion fraud, involving the former Minister, who left Nigeria since 2015.

Alison-Madueke has since then been in the UK until recently when the government there arraigned her on charges bordering on bribery said to have been committed in the UK. However, barely six months into the Tinubu’s administration, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, it was learnt, has made a request to the UK government for the extradition of the Mrs Allison-Madueke.

It was also learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had officially written to the office of the Minister of Justice early in the month for Diezani’s arrest and subsequent extradition.

The anti-graft agency had predicated its request on grounds that a prima facie case has been established against Allison-Madueke, prompting a magistrate to issue the warrant of arrest. This certified warrant was then attached to the extradition request submitted to the UK government by the AGF on the orders of President Tinubu.

The extradition request is based on Nigeria’s Extradition Act, CAP E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and the London Scheme of Extradition within the Commonwealth, commonly known as “The Scheme.”

This multilateral treaty governs extradition between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Meanwhile, an ongoing internal review by the UK government has been blamed for the delay in bringing the former minister back to Nigeria.
Extradition processes are typically intricate and subject to the approval of the recipient country, in this case, the UK. An informal interagency collaboration between the EFCC and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has played a pivotal role in the ongoing trial of Alison-Madueke at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.

Recalling previous developments, the EFCC had disclosed on October 2 that it had commenced the extradition of Alison-Madueke from the UK to Nigeria. She faces 13-count charges related to money laundering, which were brought against her by the anti-graft agency. These charges span across jurisdictions in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Nigeria.

Few weeks ago, precisely in August, the UK’s National Crime Agency had accused Diezani of accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts, leading to her being charged in court.

She was arraigned before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London early October over allegations on bribery to the tune of £100,000, and was admitted to bail in the sum of £70,000, by the District Judge Michael Snow.
As part of conditions attached to the bail, the former minister was ordered to observe an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, while wearing an electronic tag at all times.

Meanwhile, Diezani is expected to be at Southwark Crown Court, today which handles serious criminal cases as part of continuation of her trial in the UK.

Recall, that several efforts by the EFCC to get Diezani extradited to Nigeria in the past were unsuccessful.

Arise News

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement on Wednesday, said the appointment was done based on powers vested in him by Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, Amended) and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022).

The appointees included Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne, Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner; Mr. Bamidele Agbede, Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner; Mr. Jani Adamu Bello, Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner; and Dr. Taiye Ilayasu, Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner

Others were Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner; Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Nasarawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner; Prof. Mohammed Yalwa, Niger State Resident Electoral Commissioner; Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner; and Mr. Abubakar Fawa Dambo, Zamfara State Resident Electoral Commissioner.

“President Tinubu expects the new appointees to abide by the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties, in accordance with his determination to facilitate the establishment of a new and sustainable standard of transparent, fair, and conflict-free electoral conduct in Nigeria,” the statement added.

Daily Trust

Traders, who arrived this (Monday) morning at these markets, were taken aback as they discovered that their access had been denied by officials of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA.

According to information gathered by Vanguard, the electronics section, fancy section, and furniture section in Alaba International Market were the areas sealed by LAWMA.

The thriving Trade Fair Market was not exempt from these actions. According to traders, the market was sealed late yesterday. A salesperson, who simply identified herself as Gift, spoke to Vanguard.

She said: “Yesterday they were at the gate sealing the market. I never knew they were sealing it in preparation for today.

“I even recorded a video and sent it to our platform, but no one responded until today when everyone was kept outside.”

Additionally, another source revealed that although no notice was served, “a section like Balogun in the Trade Fair Market was reported to be very dirty.

“But not all sections of the market are in the same state of disarray,” she said.

Why we sealed Alaba Market — Govt

Meanwhile, LAWMA has reacted via their official X page, formerly known as Twitter.

The government agency said: “The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), in conjunction with the Lagos State Task Force and @LAGESCOfficial, has sealed Alaba International Market over environmental offenses.

“Officials of LAWMA, LAGESC, and Lagos State Task Force carried out the enforcement on Monday on the directive of the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

“The market was found to be in contravention of several key waste management guidelines, such as indiscriminate waste disposal, absence of designated waste points, lack of waste receptacles for proper containment, as well as an unsatisfactory state of drainage systems.

“Despite repeated notices urging compliance with these regulations, the market authorities failed to take corrective action, prompting the sealing today.”

Vanguard

In a judgment delivered by Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Court of England and Wales on Monday, it upheld Nigeria’s prayer on the ground that the ill-fated gas processing contract was obtained by fraud.

On January 31, 2017, a private arbitration Tribunal ordered Nigeria to pay $6.6 billion to P&ID plus interest beginning from March 20, 2013.

Following the judgement, Nigeria applied for an extension of time and relief from sanctions.

The application was granted by Ross Cranston, a judge of the Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, in September 2020.

Nigeria had alleged that the gas deal was a scam conceived to defraud the country.

Lawyers representing the federal government of Nigeria told the court that P&ID officials paid bribes to secure the contract.

But, P&ID denied the allegation and accused the Nigerian government of “false allegations and wild conspiracy theories.”

Leadership

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Reseach and Documentation, Mr Essien Ndueso, who disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday in Uyo, said governor Eno made the call during the Political Summit held last week in London.

Ndueso stressed that his principal assured delegates at the summit of his administration’s readiness to partner with other governments and private investors in order to realize his vision for the state encapsulated in the A.R.I.S.E Agenda.

He stated: “Governor Umo Eno has invited delegates to the London Political Summit Awards, to consider Akwa Ibom State as the best destination for their investments and leisure.

“At the summit the Governor presented an award of member of Parliament of the Year, to Rt. Hon. Jonathan Ashworth, on behalf of the organisers.

“He congratulated the Hon. Ashworth who has been the Member of Parliament representing Leicester South since 2011,  and commended other awardees on their recognition”

According to Ndueso, at the summit the State government, the London Borough of Southwark, and Akwa Ibom indigenes in the United Kingdom agreed to have exchanges on both educational and cultural levels.

“The agreements were reached at separate meetings held by the Governor with the Mayor of the Borough of Southwark, Michael Situ and some indigenes of Akwa Ibom State in the United Kingdom.

“At the Council Hall of the London Borough of Southwark, Governor Eno, who was received by the Borough’s Worshipful Mayor, Deputy Mayor and other members of the Borough’s Council, proposed an education and cultural exchange on both Government to Government (G2G) and business to business (B2B) levels.

“Governor Eno also proposed knowledge sharing between teachers and students in both climes. Also at a separate meeting with some Akwa Ibom citizens, Pastor Eno expressed his readiness to collaborate with Akwa Ibom citizens in the diaspora throughout his tenure”, he added

Ndueso further  noted that, Mayor of the Borough of Southwark, Michael Situ expressed optimism about the benefits that the collaboration between the two governments could bring.

“The Mayor presented the Governor with some official Memorabilia from the Borough of Southwark. He said his officials were ready to visit and commence deeper discussions on areas of bilateral interest.

Making their contributions at the meeting, Dr. Ikpe Emmanuel Ibanga (course director at Leeds Beckett University), Dr. Itoro Akpan (lecturer at Staffordshire University), Koko Udom Esq (Construction, Nuclear and power expert), Francis Nkenang (Senior Staff, Barclays Bank), Mercy Umoh (Cyber Security expert), Itiemoh Imoh (Programme Leader, Coventry University), Enobong Bassey (Hydrographic Surveyor), Miss Emem Ekanem (Lecturer, University of Greenwich) offered to lend their expertise in moving the state forward.

“They further appealed to the Governor to interact frequently with the Akwa Ibom community in the United Kingdom” Ndueso added.

Those who accompanied the Governor to the summit to include, Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, Comm. for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Frank Archibong, Comm. for Information, Ini Ememobong,  Chairman Maintain Peace Movement, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Chief Executive HENSEK Integrated Services, Engr. Uwem Okoko, and Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, SSA on ICT and Digital Matters.

Vanguard