Oscarline Onwuemenyi
05 October 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami has said former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke will not be repatriated to Nigeria.
Malami said since she is already facing charges of money laundering in the United Kingdom, “it is important to face the charges there than for her to come as a mere witness in a case in Nigeria”.
Alison-Madueke had filed a suit at a high court in Abuja seeking to be joined in an ongoing money laundering involving her associates.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had labelled her as ‘At Large’ during the money-laundering involving Dele Belgore, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Professor Abubakar Suleiman, a former national planning minister.
But the former minister, through her lawyer, Mr. Obinna Onya, asked the court to compel the AGF to bring her back to Nigeria to face charges.
Speaking to the media after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, Malami said the Federal Government “will not take any decision that will jeopardise what the UK government is doing”.
“The truth of the matter is that the government is doing something especially on issues of corruption and litigation in Nigeria and outside the country,” he said.
“Considering the fact that there is an existing understanding between Nigeria and other countries especially the United Kingdom on the recovery of stolen funds, you cannot say the government is not doing anything.”
He said steps have been taken by the UK authorities on issues bordering on corrupt practices involving Nigerians.
“If Nigeria feels strongly that there is need to bring Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke here to face charges of corruption, the government will not hesitate to do that.
“As things are now, there is no need for that since the UK government is already investigating her and government will not take any decision that will jeopardise what the UK government is doing,” he said.
