Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has, renewed an arrest warrant against the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke over her long absence in Nigeria to face trial in the series of fraud charges against her.
The former Minister was said to be residing in London, United Kingdom since 2015 when she ceased to be Minister.
The Judge granted the request for renewal after counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farouk Abdullah, made an oral application.
The court had fixed Nov. 3, 2021 for the EFCC to give a report on its effort at extraditing Alison-Madueke to the country to stand her trial, and for possible mention of the case.
But on the adjourned date, the case was stalled as neither Abdullah nor Alison-Madueke was in sight.
Justice Olajuwon then fixed January 24, for the matter and adjourned for report or or for possible mention of the matter.
Though Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu was initially handling the matter, the case was reassigned to Justice Olajuwon, following the transfer of Ojukwu to the Calabar division of the court.
It would be recalled that Justice Ojukwu had, on October. 28, 2020, rejected the EFCC’s prayer to issue a warrant of arrest against Alison-Madueke, citing the commission’s failure to enforce the earlier criminal summons, which the court issued on the former Minister since July 24, 2020, saying court orders are not made in vain.
The commission had, in requesting for the criminal summons in July 2020, claimed that it was required to facilitate the ex-minister’s extradition to Nigeria.
At Monday’s proceedings, Abdullahi told the court that all efforts by the agency to get the ex-Minister extradited when the matter was before Ojukwu were unsuccessful.
Abdullah, who made an oral application for an arrest warrant, said the application was part of the requirements by the office of the AGF for the extradition.
He said that the arrest warrant was needed to further give the International Police (INTERPOL) the impetus to bring the defendant to Nigeria to answer to charges against her.
Justice Olajuwon then granted the application and adjourned the matter indefinitely pending when the defendant (Alison-Madueke) is arrested and produced in court.