Magu Reveals How AGF, Abubakar Malami, Made Extradition of Diezani, Other Fugitives End In Futility

The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has continued to respond to various allegations of corruption and insubordination levelled against him, including failing to provide documents for the extradition of Diezani Allison-Madueke.

The suspended EFCC Boss has responded to allegations that he frustrated the extradition of former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke and other fugitives to face trial in Nigeria.

Mr. Magu rejected the allegations, telling the presidential probe panel that it was his accuser, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who made the extradition of wanted fugitives end in futility.

A report originally published by NAN revealed that Mr Magu was accused of refusing to cooperate with crime-fighting authorities in the United Kingdom to facilitate the return of Mrs Alison-Madueke to face corruption charges in Nigeria, adding that he refused to provide documentary evidence that would make the office of the Attorney General of the Federation commence the process of extraditing Mrs Alison-Maduake.

According to a report sighted by Premium Times, Magu, however, denied refusing to share information with the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom. He added that Mr Malami is yet to communicate with the commission the position of UK authorities on the request it made.

Magu in his report wrote:

“The NCA still shares critical information with the Commission and conducts joint operations with the Commission under the Combined Inter-Agency Task Force (CIATF) and also directly. Classified documents in this regard can be produced for sighting on request and with the consent of the NCA. The Commission is also jointly working with the NCA on several cases including the Diezani Allison-Madueke cases and all the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests on these cases are passed to the NCA and the Crown Prosecution Services through the Centra Authority Unit (CAD) of the Ministry of Justice contrary to the allegations of the HAGF.”

It followed that while the UK authorities delayed charging Mrs Alison-Madueke, the EFCC wrote to the authorities in the country through the AGF requesting her extradition so that she could face pending charges in Nigeria.

Refuting the allegation made against him by Malami, Magu told the probe panel that under his leadership, the commission maintained a good working relationship with the FBI.

Magu wrote: “The EFCC maintained a good working relationship with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation which recently acknowledged this relationship by commending the Commission publicly and on record.”

Magu further said that Mr Malami is yet to respond to several requests for the extradition of high profile Nigerian fugitives, including Mrs Allison-Madueke and that Mr Malami has yet to respond to any of the requests.

“Some of these fugitives include Robert John Oshodin who laundered millions of United States Dollars on behalf of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), former Special to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme Mr Kingsley Kuku and Hima Aboubakar who was criminally indicted by the investigation of arms procurement conducted under the former NSA Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd). Attached and marked as Annexure 32 (a)-(e) are copies of the extradition requests of these fugitives.

“The Commission also forwarded a Mutual Legal Assistance request to the HAGF for onward transmission to the authorities of the British Virgin Island through a letter dated 9th September, 2019 wherein the Commission requested for critical information in respect of the P&ID case but the Commission is yet to receive any response from the office of the HAGF,” Mr Magu wrote.