Diezani-Alison-Madueke
Court Orders EFCC,
Diezani-Alison-Madueke
Court Orders EFCC, DSS, Police 72 Hours to Produce
Diezani
Justice Valentine Ashi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court,
sitting in Apo, Abuja, on December 4, 2018, ordered the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigerian Police Force,
the Department of States Security Service and all other security
agencies to apprehend and arrest a former Minister of Petroleum
Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke within 72 hours.
The order was made, following a motion ex parte made before the
court by counsel to the EFCC, Msuur Denga, praying for an order of
the court, to issue a warrant of arrest against Madueke, to enable
the Commission apprehend and arraign her for alleged financial
crimes in Nigeria.
The EFCC investigated the former minister along with Jide
Omokore, a former Chairman, Atlantic Energy Drilling Company,
following a petition dated October 2, 2013, from Coalition Against
Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, bordering on money laundering and official
corruption.
Investigations into the petition revealed that Madueke as
supervising minister of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, was found to have engaged in illicit and monumental
fraudulent dealings in oil transactions, which she entered into on
behalf of the Federal Government.
Madueke and Omokore, are also alleged to have accepted and given
gifts in properties located at Penthouse 22, Block B, Admiralty
Estate, Ikoyi, and Penthouse 21, Building 5, Block C, Banana
Island, Lagos. They are to be arraigned on February 25, 2019 on a
five-count charge for the offences, which are contrary to Sections
26(1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act,
2000.
Recall that when the matter came up on December 3, 2018 the
Commission however filed application for warrant of arrest,
condition precedent for Deziani’s extradition protocol to bring her
back home to face trail.
The prosecution told the court that Diezani, who is currently in
the United Kingdom, jetted out of the country while investigations
into the alleged fraudulent acts were ongoing.
The court today, granted the ex parte motion, and ordered the
security agencies to provide Madueke within 72 hours, for her to
face the charge preferred against her.
“The Inspector General of Police, the Chairman of the EFCC, the
Attorney General, the Department of State Services, are hereby
ordered in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
to apprehend and arrest the first defendant and produce her before
this court for further directives within 72 hours”, the judge
held.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
…………………………………….
Magu Decries Voter Inducement During Elections
The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has condemned inducement of voters
by politicians during elections, saying it is another form of
corruption.
Magu said the monetization of electoral process must be frowned
on by Nigerians because it could impact negatively on the future of
the country.
Speaking during an interactive session with media executives at
the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal office on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, Magu
stated that “We are again at the cusp of history. In only a few
weeks from now, we would be going to the polls to elect leaders at
all levels of government.
“Howsoever that process goes depends a lot on all of us. Let us
vote in leaders based on their programmes and priorities not on how
much they are able to pervert the system.”
The EFCC boss, who described the media as the compass providing
clear direction for the Commission in its relentless efforts to rid
Nigeria of corruption, also stated that the fight for the soul of
Nigeria was one between the patriotic and the corrupt
“The fight is also one between the keepers and the looters of
our common patrimony. The latter group has continuously
demonstrated its I-don’t-care attitude to the socio-economic
wellbeing of our dear country. But as stakeholders, we must be
alert to our responsibilities to wrest our commonwealth from the
grasp of the looters”, he emphasized.
He, therefore, stated that it was important for stakeholders in
the anti-graft war to pause and critically review the high and low
points of the strategies in dealing with the monster of corruption,
which is the bane of the development of the country.
He also charged the media not to leave the fight against
corruption only in the hand of the EFCC, adding that “Whenever you
give us knocks in your editorials or reportage, we take it in good
faith, believing that we are either not doing enough or we need to
change our strategies.
“In the same way, when you give us kudos, we don’t feel we
should roll out the drums and celebrate because there is still a
lot of ground to cover. As I always say, we don’t have a monopoly
of knowledge on how best the war against corruption can be fought.
So, we will always run to you for brilliant ideas on how best to
combat the evil of corruption. Be assured that we will always heed
your candid pieces of advice.
“Indeed, I see the media as the potent megaphone to trumpet the
need for the generality of Nigerians to take ownership of the fight
against corruption.”
Magu, who also described the Commission as apolitical, stated
that the Commission’s concern bordered on those who seek to use the
political space for money laundering.
He, however, said that the EFCC would invoke the provisions of
the anti-money laundering law to the letter, irrespective of whose
ox is gored.
He added: “Some vested interests are already attacking us for
our stand on the side of the law. Let us remind them that the law
is no respecter of persons.
“But we also know that we will be fooling one another if we
think that the fight against corruption and economic and financial
crimes will be a tea affair. It has never been, and it will never
be! The reason, you will agree with me, is simply that corruption
will always fight back.
“Besides, in today’s Nigeria, the issue of corruption has become
a hydra-headed problem. But it will even be more dangerous if
critical stakeholders, including the media, leave it only to the
EFCC. That is why we will always ask for your support.”
Magu, who said the introduction of special courts to try persons
for corruption cases had been a blessing to anti-graft agencies,
disclosed that the Commission had recorded 246 convictions as at
November 30, 2018.
“I make bold to say that the Commission is winning the war
against corruption. In terms of assets recovery/forfeiture, the
Commission has secured quite a number of temporary or permanent
forfeiture of properties and various sums of monies unlawfully
acquired by persons of questionable character. The most recent of
such final forfeiture, through the efforts of the Commission to the
federal government last month, was the N1.9 Billion from Heritage
Bank.
“In addition, the Commission keeps getting more global
recognitions for its daring efforts to sanitise the country.
Several respectable international agencies have signed
collaborative agreements with the Commission to tackle the menace
of corruption,” he said.
Magu also described as untrue the insinuation by critics that
the Commission had been engaging in witch hunt, saying, “It is not
a tool in the hands of anyone, government or individual, either. If
your hands are clean, you can go to bed with your two eyes closed.
We will never compromise our integrity!”
He also disclosed that the Commission had opened three new zonal
offices in Sokoto ,Benue and Kwara States for a strategic
purpose.
“Other zonal offices, reflecting the old 12-states structure are
coming soon to bring the Commission closer to the people,” he
added.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
4th December, 2018