A former Nigerian minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is facing extradition proceedings to Nigeria after being arraigned in a London court on Monday over alleged bribery offences.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, said it had obtained an arrest warrant for Alison-Madueke and was working with the UK authorities to bring her back to face trial.
The EFCC said the charges against Alison-Madueke in the UK were different from the 13-count charge of money laundering it had filed against her in Nigeria, which involved jurisdictions in Dubai, the UK, the US and Nigeria.
“No crime can go unpunished. The money laundering charges for which Madueke is answerable to the EFCC cover jurisdictions in Dubai, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Nigeria. The commission is on course on her trial. She will soon have her day in our courts,” the EFCC’s acting spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement.
Alison-Madueke was granted bail by the Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday after paying £70,000 and agreeing to other conditions, such as wearing an electronic tag, observing a curfew and surrendering her passport.
She did not formally enter a plea, but her lawyer, Mark Bowen, told the court that she would deny the charges. She is due to appear at the Southwark Crown Court on October 30.
