The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, insistence and public criticism of the United Kingdom on its refusal to extradite former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, is said to be ruffling diplomatic feathers in the relationship between Abuja and London.
UK continues to resist the Nigerian government’s pressure to send her home for trial for alleged economic and financial offences
But the international community is said to be watching the delay and clumsiness in handling other high profile cases like that of former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, which after four years the government appeared not too ready to commence.
The EFCC had to ask for an extra four weeks to keep Adoke, after his return from self-imposed exile, for further investigation. On his planned arraignment day on Wednesday, charges were not brought forward, forcing a day’s adjournment.
Adoke’s trial finally begins as EFCC continues to goad the UK government to try in court or send back Diezani for trial, in the delicate diplomatic tussle between a former colonial master and former colony.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari has often engaged the UK and expressed frustration at every turn over the non-repatriation of stolen wealth by western countries. He is on his way back from London where he went for a UK- Africa conference. Curiously, the UK government has often granted “safe passage” to Buhari for medical treatment in that country.
But all that does not impress EFCC’s Ibrahim Magu who is fixated on Allison-Madueke’s extradition.
Magu on Monday decried the refusal of the United Kingdom (UK), to extradite Allison-Madueke, to face trial for alleged money laundering in Nigeria.
The EFCC boss disclosed that the Commission had sufficient evidence to prosecute Allison-Madueke for the alleged financial malfeasance she committed while in office. The looted funds, traced to Allison-Madueke and others, he noted, could be used to keep the wheel of the nation’s economy rolling if recovered.
“We don’t want to keep chasing everybody as a suspect. We want everybody who has stolen from the commonwealth to bring it back to Nigeria, so as to use the monies to provide the needed infrastructure,” he stated, disclosing that the Commission would build more detention facilities and open additional zonal offices so as to bring the anti-corruption fight, nearer home to the people.
But on Thursday, Adoke was arraigned before Justice A.I. Kutigi of Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
He is facing an amended 42-count charge. He is being tried alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Mr. Rasky Gbinigie, Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Ltd and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production.
Adoke is accused of using public office for gratification, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 115(a) of the Panel Code, Cap. 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja)1990 and punishable under Section 115(i) of the same Penal Code.
EFCC counsel, Bala Sanga stated that the matter was for arraignment and subject to the convenience of the court applied that the charges be read to the defendants. According to him, “We have on 14/01/2020 filed a forty-two count charge. However, we filed an amended charge dated 23/01/2020 and filed on the same date. My lord, we only amended, but we can confirm the proof of evidence, and subject to the convenience of the court we are applying for the charge to be read to them.”
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Muhammed Bello Adoke, while being a public servant, as attorney-general and minister of Justice of the federation, sometime in August 2013, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, accepted from Aliyu Abubakar for yourself a gratification of US dollars equivalent of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) only other than lawful remuneration, as a motive for facilitating and negotiating the Block 245 Resolution Agreement with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 115(a) of the Penal Code, Cap. 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja)1990 and punishable under Section 115(i) of the same Penal Code.”
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In view of the plea, Sanga applied to the court to remand the first, second and third defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
The first, second and third defence counsels, however, applied for bail of their clients, which was opposed to by the prosecution.
Sanga said: “I can confirm that they served us the application for bail. I will move to oppose the bail because it is premature, I need time.
“For the third defendant, we were served at 2:54pm, for the second, we were served at 2:03pm, for the first it was about 3:15pm yesterday, all of them yesterday.”
He therefore requested for time to respond to their bail application.
Defence counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, however, urged the court to keep all the defendents in the custody of the EFCC instead of the correctional service. The third defence counsel adopted the position of the first and second defence counsel.
The second defence counsel, afterwards, sought for a five minutes stand down, and when the court resumed, the second defence counsel told the court that both the defence and the prosecution had agreed that the defendants will be kept in the custody of the EFCC.
Justice Kutigi, therefore, ordered that they should be remanded in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned the case to January 27, 2020 for hearing on the bail application.