BREAKING: Court Dismisses Diezani’s Application To Return To Nigeria

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed an application brought by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke urging it to compel the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to bring her back to Nigeria to defend a criminal charge bothering on alleged laundering.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa in a ruling on the issue agreed with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that the application is misconceived and amounts to a misuse of the court process.

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Diezani had filed through her lawyer, Mr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, saying she wished to appear before the Federal High Court in Lagos to defend a criminal charge bordering on alleged laundering of N450m, where her name was mentioned.

The main defendants in the charge are a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Belgore; and a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman.

The EFCC described Diezani’s prayer to be brought back to Nigeria as a ploy to escape justice in the UK, where, according to the anti-graft agency, she is being investigated for several financial crimes by the Metropolitan Police.

According to the commission, investigation by the Metropolitan Police in Diezani’s case had reached an advanced stage and her prosecution in the UK was imminent.

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It, therefore, said it would not be in the interest of justice to grant Diezani’s application seeking to return to Nigeria.

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