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Tag: Magu

  • Fraudsters have infiltrated Nigerian banks, says EFCC boss, Magu

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, said yesterday that many fraudsters in Nigerian banks aid criminals to perpetrate financial crimes.

    Magu who spoke at a meeting with compliance officers of various banks in Port Harcourt said such fraudsters helped politically exposed persons to steal and launder public funds.

    “So this is the reason we say we must come here, we have to talk, and unfortunately we have fraudsters working in the banks, working right inside the banks.

    “They go around and throw confidentiality to the wind and subject people’s accounts to a lot of intimidation and extortion. So we want to put in our machinery to deal with such fraudulent activities of bankers and some law enforcement agencies, there are bad eggs among us, even in the EFCC.”

    He said the commission had secured 194 convictions in the first quarter of this year.

  • Why Senate could not confirm Magu as substantive EFCC chair – Saraki

    Why Senate could not confirm Magu as substantive EFCC chair – Saraki

    Senate President Bukola Saraki Monday explained the controversial refusal of the Senate to confirm Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Saraki said that Magu’s appointment may have been confirmed but for the failure of the Presidency to explore the established channel of lobby.

    Besides, he said that “political solution” should have been applied after the Senate rejected nomination twice.

    The Senate President spoke at the orientation programme organised for Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect ahead of the inauguration of Ninth National Assembly in Abuja.

    Saraki attempted to parry questions on why the National Assembly did not go to court for a definite pronouncement on the failed confirmation of Magu’s appointment as EFCC’s substantive chairman.

    He was forced to respond when the question was asked repeatedly.

    Saraki said that it is left to the Executive arm of government to find a replacement of any ministerial nominee rejected by the Senate.

    Talking specifically on Magu’s nomination, he said that there was no doubt that the Senate has the power to confirm or reject his nomination.

    On why the Senate did not go to court for a pronouncement on whether the Senate has the power to confirm the EFCC chairman, he said that there were over 12 court cases pending on the issue.

    Saraki, who said that some of the cases had been pending in court for over two years, added that he cannot explain why the cases have not been decided.

    He, however, noted that “in cases like the EFCC chairman, there is always the need for political solution and dialogue to solve such issue. But to say whether the Senate has the power to confirm, the Senate has power to confirm. The power of confirmation is there even in America which we copy.

    “When the Executive makes appointment, there is issue of lobby. This is why we want a particular nominee. It is done even in America.”

    On the election of presiding officers of the Ninth National Assembly, Saraki advised senators-elect and members-elect that they should be in the chamber on the day of inauguration.

    He insisted that the inauguration and election of presiding officers only take place on the floor of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

    The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, who opened the orientation, gave an overview of the National Assembly, including structure, functions and inter-parliamentary relations.

    In the course of his presentation, Sani-Omolori said that one of the functions of the Senate is the confirmation of nominees from the executive arm of government.

    The power of confirmation of nominees prompted questions on the confirmation of Magu and why he is still serving as Acting Chairman of EFCC when he was denied confirmation.

    Sani-Omolori said that he was not in a position to answer political questions and referred the question on Magu to Saraki.

    Saraki noted that the options are that the President can lobby the legislature or present someone else at the event of rejection of a nominee.

    Saraki said: “The point I am making is that we should not make too much news on the process of electing a presiding officers. What is important is for the members of the Senate to decide who is the best to lead them so that they can have stability.”

    On non-confirmation of Magu, Saraki said: “The truth really is that the issue of confirmation whether ministerial or other appointments, is done by the entire Senate. Generally, we have an unwritten practice that we would get the input of senators from the state where the appointee hails from before we start the screening process in the Senate. By the powers of the Senate, if such a nominee is rejected, then it is upon the executive to find a new replacement. The issue really is that the Senate has the powers to reject a ministerial nominee.

    “In the case of the appointment of the chairman of the EFCC, the powers of the Senate are very clear in the constitution. For any nominee, we are guided by the constitution. It is an appointment made by Mr. President, subject to the confirmation of the Senate, which means the Senate has the powers to either say yes or say no.

    “In a situation where the Senate rejects, it is up to the executive at that time to send in a replacement or in some cases, when we have appointment rejected and the executive will re-present before the Senate but if the senators again, took a decision to reject the nominee, the appointment stands rejected.

    “On getting judicial interpretations of their roles, there are 17 cases in court that have been on now for two years and for one reason or the other, those cases have not moved. I cannot explain what happened. They are cases that have to deal with asking the courts to give judicial interpretations to who has the powers to do one thing or the other. I am sure by the time the judiciary gives the interpretations, there is no doubt about it that it will be clear that it is the Senate that has the powers

    “In things like this in a democracy, there must be a political solution, there must be dialogue. I think that is the most important thing. The Senate has the power of confirmation. It is how to manage those issues that are the challenges. There will be many like that in the Ninth Assembly. The question is how the executive and the legislators will work together and find a solution. It is how the relationship between the two arms of government.

    “There is also a wrong perception that the leadership of the Senate has those powers. The powers of the presiding officers are in the members. It is the members that decide the leadership of the National Assembly. Most of the decisions especially confirmation, are usually taken by the members. In other countries, the executive there are seen to be lobbying the legislators. When they have a candidate, they will go and lobby to get in their preferred choice appointed.”

  • N1.3trn stolen in 4 years by 32 entities – Magu

    The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, says over N1.3 trillion has been stolen by 32 entities between 2011 and 2015.

    Magu disclosed this at an event held in Lagos, on Monday, according to a statement by the commission’s Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Tony Orilade.

    The event was the “2019 First Batch Conversion Training Programme to Procurement Cadre for Federal Parastatals and Agencies.

    It was organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

    Magu, who was represented by the commission’s Secretary, Mr Ola Olukoyede, decried that this was a huge financial loss to the country.

    He said “One third of this money, using world bank rates and cost, could have comfortably been used to construct well over 500 kilometre of roads.

    “Build close to 200 schools; educate about 4, 000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N25 million per child; build 20, 000 units of two-bedroom houses across the country and do even more.

    “The cost of this grand theft, therefore, is that these roads, schools and houses will never be built and these children will never have access to quality education.

    “This is because a few rapacious individuals have cornered for themselves what would have helped secure the lives of the future generations thereby depriving them of quality education and healthcare, among others.”

    He said that the poor state of procurement process in Nigeria was one of the major reasons why corruption had continued to thrive in government agencies and parastatals.

    Magu identified some of the fraudulent practices in procurement processes to include kickbacks, conflict of interests, fraud in the bidding process, bid suppression among others.

  • How 32 entities stole N1.3trn public funds under Jonathan’s government – Magu

    How 32 entities stole N1.3trn public funds under Jonathan’s government – Magu

    Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has said a whooping sume of N1.3 trillion public funds were stolen by 32 entities (human and corporate) between 2011 and 2015.

    Recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan held sway as the president from 2011 – 2015.

    Magu made the revelation Monday in his keynote remarks at the opening of the 2019 First Batch Conversion Training Programme to Procurement Cadre for Federal Parastatal and Agencies.

    The event was organised by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in Lagos.

    The EFCC chair, whose paper was delivered by the Commission’s Secretary, Ola Olukoyede, decried the impact of the huge financial loss on the country.

    He said: “One third of this money, using World Bank rates and cost, could have comfortably been used to construct well over 500km of roads; build close to 200 schools; educate about 4000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N25 million per child; build 20,000 units of two-bedroom houses across the country and do even more.

    “The cost of this grand theft, therefore, is that these roads, schools and houses will never be built and these children will never have access to quality education because a few rapacious individuals had cornered for themselves what would have helped secure the lives of the future generations, thereby depriving them of quality education and healthcare, among others.”

    He identified the poor state of procurement process as one of the major reasons corruption continued to thrive in government agencies and parastatals.

    Magus listed some of the fraudulent practices in procurement process in Nigeria to include: kickbacks, conflict of interests, fraud in the bidding process, bid suppression, collusive bidding, bid rotation and market division.

    Others, according to him are: co-mingling of contracts, change order abuse, cost mischarging, defective pricing, false statement and claim, phantom vendors, product substitution, unnecessary purchases and purchases for personal use or resale.

    The EFCC chair noted that the training was aimed at giving the participants the tools, knowledge and understanding they would need to carry out their duties in their respective places of primary assignments in an efficient and transparent manner.

    “I sincerely hope that at the end of this training, we will see a few cases of financial propriety in our procurement processes in government agencies and parastatal. Indeed, corruption could kill Nigeria, if we do not scale up our proficiency in contract and procurement management process,” Magu said.

    Giving insights into what necessitated the establishment of the EFCC in 2003, he said: “The establishment of the EFCC in 2003 was because of the determination of the Federal Government to combat fraudulent activities of some Nigerians and foreigners, mismanagement in the economic sector, corruption by public officials and lack of accountability and transparency in government dealings.”

    Magu expressed confidence that Nigeria still has patriotic and credible individuals who would do all within their abilities to uphold the credibility and honesty required for leadership in public offices.

  • Looters now stash funds in Seychelles, South Africa, Niger, Ghana – Magu

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, Friday said looters now stash illicit funds in Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa, Niger Republic, Morocco and other African countries.

    He said the preferred destinations for looters had traditionally been the United Kingdom, United States, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Seychelles, but they are now expanding fast to African countries.

    Magu made the disclosure at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between EFCC and its Nigerien counterpart, the High Authority Against Corruption and Relating Crimes( HALCIA), in Niamey.

    He said: “From available intelligence and our investigations, it has been revealed that looters from Nigeria now go to Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Niger Republic, Morocco, Seychelles and so on, to stash their loots.

    “This has led to sharp increase in the number of Nigerians buying properties in African countries.

    “Nigerians even go to the extent of changing their names and acquiring the destination countries’ international passports in collusion with corrupt public officers in their countries of residence in order to hide their identities and evade detection,” he said, adding that, “the fight of the EFCC against looters’ safe havens is total.”

    The EFCC boss further disclosed that his visit to Niger was part of his ongoing tour at mobilising international effortsto deny looters safe haven abroad.

    He said: “We have already visited Ghana and Cameroun, today we are in Niger Republic and we will continue to reach out to other preferred looters destinations in Africa and beyond. Interestingly, the efforts of the Nigerian Government to trace, recover and return assets stolen from Nigeria coupled with our increased advocacy to discourage safe havens have begun to yield results.

    “It is my conviction that our collaborative efforts will go a long way in eliminating safe havens. In fact, this is in tandem with renewed global commitment by countries to shut their doors to stolen funds.

    “I also want to call for conscious measures to sanitize and strengthen the legal framework so as to make it difficult for looters to transfer illicit funds to Niger Republic for investment or whatever purpose.”

    Magu called on the global community to redouble its efforts towards strengthening the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for proceeds of corruption.

    He also called on the international community to ensure the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.

    According to a statement by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Tony Orilade, the MoU will strengthen the collaborative efforts between the EFCC and its Nigerien counterpart.

    Section seven of the MoU captures how the parties will exchange information, including those which are necessary to achieve its objectives.

    According to the section, “The parties will exchange information in accordance with this Memorandum of Understanding in conformity to the relevant laws of Niger and Nigeria relating to the protection of privacy and confidentiality.”

    To help the Commission take its fight against corruption to Nigerians looters who have found safe haven in Niger Republic, Magu made a five-point appeal to the President of Niger Republic, which are as follows:

    (i) Identifying huge cash in the financial system owned by Nigerians to enable us find out if they are looted funds/proceeds of crime.

    (ii) Identifying the numerous properties owned by Nigerians including the details of the owners in order to enable the Commission ascertain if such Nigerians acquired the properties from looted funds/proceeds of crime

    (iii) Stopping moves by persons who plan to move funds at this period through the usual medium to destabilize the political stage in Nigeria.

    (iv) Increased clamp down on Nigerians who are involved in cyber-crime and handing over their details to us for further necessary action.

    (v) Assisting the EFCC in the arrest of persons on the wanted list of the Commission who absconded to Niger Republic due to the free movement granted to citizens of the ECOWAS states.

    The EFCC boss praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his support to the Commission, noting that “Nigeria is ready and willing to partner with international agencies and individual countries on bilateral basis to confront crimes and corruption.”

    While meeting with the parliamentarians, at the Assemblee Nationale, Magu told the second Vice President, Mohamadou, that, there was the need to rework existing legislations in Niger to help strengthen anti-corruption fight in the country.

    He also noted the need for the country to domesticate the United Nation’s Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in order to make its meaning and impact bear on the lives of the country’s citizens.

    While decorating the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger Republic, Ambassador Haliru and all the embassy staff with the EFCC lapel, Magu urged them to acknowledge the anti-corruption fight as a collective one.

    “Whether you are at home in Nigeria or in the Diaspora, you need to make your contribution. Add your voice to the crusade against corruption. The fight is real. Don’t also forget that corruption is fighting back, but together, we shall win,” he said.

    Ambassador Haliru, in turn, praised the EFCC boss for his zeal and passion for the job. “We are hearing and seeing all your achievements in the fight against corruption. We are praying to God Almighty to give you good health and long life to confront the corrupt”.

    For the President of HALCIA, Abdourmane Gousmane, there is no better time than now for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and Niger Republic in the fight against corruption.

    “We are ready and willing to partner with Nigeria. Nigeria has the experience and the human capacity and with President Muhammadu Buhari, who is a renowned anti-corruption icon, we have no choice than to leverage on Nigeria for capacity building in taming the corruption monster,” Gousmane said.

    One of the side attractions of the visit was Gousmane’s presentation of a horse as a special gift to Magu.

  • Abacha loot: Swiss govt has returned over $1.04b to Nigeria since 1999 – Magu

    The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday said the Swiss Government has returned about $1.040 billion looted by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and his family members to Nigeria since 1999.

    Magu gave the information in a presentation at the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, (IAACA), in Vienna, Austria where he spoke about the need for an effective international collaboration by law enforcement agencies to combat corruption.

    He said the cost of corruption was enormous and needed a broader approach to be tackled.

    The excerpts of Magu’s submission were made available to reporters by the EFCC’s Acting Head of Media and Publicity Mr. Tony Orilade.

    Magu said: “Successes recorded in recovery of stolen assets have been achieved through Memoranda of Understanding, (MoU) signed between Nigeria and several countries, including Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States (U.S.) in line with Article 57 paragraph 5 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, UNCAC.

    “The UK government returned stolen funds to Nigeria in the cases of Dariye and Alamieyeseigha, with over five million pounds recovered from the former Bayelsa State governor in 2012.

    “In the case of Joshua Dariye, a former Governor of Plateau State in Nigeria, the British government also returned £48,000 to Nigeria in fulfillment of the UK’s commitments under Chapter V of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

    “In 1999, the Swiss authorities, pursuant to a request for mutual legal assistance, returned about $723m to Nigeria.

    “A tripartite MoU between the Swiss government, the World Bank and Nigerian government also led to the return of additional $320 million Abacha loot.

    “Other classes of recoveries made by the EFCC included whistleblowers cash recoveries, subsidy payment cash recoveries, third party cash recovery for NNPC, FIRS, NPA, AMCON and banks.

    “In 2017, EFCC made a total recovery of N473, 065,195,977.50, $142,504,121.12, and most of the recoveries, were non-conviction based asset recovery.”

    Magu listed some of them to include, real estates belonging to Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Petroleum Minister and her associates; $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 recovered in an apartment at Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in 2017; $9,772,800 and £74,000 cash in Kaduna, belonging to Andrew Yakubu, a former Group General Manager of NNPC in 2017.”

    Magu called for more international collaboration and synergy on repatriation of stolen wealth.

    “Corruption is acknowledged to have been an impediment to sustainable development in Africa, and the cost is so enormous that there is an urgent need for international collaboration for success to be achieved,” he said.

    According to him, “though the international community has created legal and institutional frameworks for the prevention and recovery of proceeds of corruption, recovery of stolen assets stashed away in foreign lands still remains a major issue to be tackled.”

     

  • More corrupt Nigerians will be jailed in 2019 – Magu

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, says the EFCC is committed to ensuring that more corrupt persons are jailed in 2019.

    The EFCC boss was quoted as saying this in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr. Tony Orilade, on Thursday.

    Magu said the anti-graft agency secured the conviction of 312 persons in 2018 and the agency was targeting double of this figure (624) in 2019.

    He said the Commission was committed to intensifying its efforts in order to ensure that it secures more convictions in 2019.

    “With 312 convictions in 2018, we are strategising to double our efforts in 2019, as part of our concerted efforts aimed at ensuring that the negative narrative of pervasive corruption in the system is changed for the better, and the perception that some persons are above the law is altered,” he said.

    Magu, who was speaking to officers while on a working tour of the Commission’s Lagos office on January 3, noted that the EFCC had already secured three convictions in 2019, which he described as a good start.

    “The commission shall continue to rid the country of economic and financial crimes and effectively coordinate the domestic efforts of the global fight against money laundering and terrorism financing,” he added.

    Magu stressed that the EFCC remains committed to carrying out its duties “in conformity to best international practices within the ambit of the Law.”

    While commending the exemplary leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, for the success recorded in the past year, he stressed that the Judiciary remains key to winning the corruption fight.

    The EFCC boss said, “Let us have it at the back of our minds that we are only prosecutors; without the support of the Judiciary, led by the CJN and other heads of courts across jurisdictions, we could not have been able to achieve the much we did in 2018. Therefore, to be able to double that feat in 2019, let us know that we cannot do without the judiciary.”

    He further called for the unalloyed collaboration of other stakeholders, and urged Nigerians to be “more dedicated and determined in reducing corruption to the barest minimum”.

    “Those who stole our commonwealth should know that there is no hiding place for them. A high tension searchlight is being beamed on them, it is in their interest to surrender because the game is up”, he said.

  • Magu denies owning two houses in Abuja, demands apology from Sun Newspaper

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu on Thursday told an Ikeja high court that he does not own two houses.

    Magu told the court that he has only one house which he said is situated in Karo, Abuja.

    He stated this while being led in evidence by his counsel, Wahab Shittu before Justice Doris Okuwobi in a libel suit instituted against The Sun Newspaper.

    The acting Chairman of the EFCC had sued the publishers of the newspaper before the court, for series of libelous publication against his person.

    He is claiming N5 billion as damages in a letter written to the publishers of the newspaper.

    He had also demanded a public apology and retraction of the said libelous publication dated March 25, 2017 in The Sun Newspaper.

    The publication titled: “Magu Under Fresh Probe” had alleged that two houses located in a high brow area in Maitama, Abuja were traced to his wife by the Department of State Security (DSS).

    He said The Sun publications damaged his person and character nationally and internationally.

    Magu contended that there was no iota of truth in the publication by The Sun newspaper.

    “The publication is totally false. Even if I have the money, I wouldn’t buy houses in Maitama, ” Magu maintained.

    “They said the houses are located in the Darrubbe and Missouri, Maitama and that they belong to my wife.

    “My wife Fatima Yakaka Magu is a civil servant and cannot afford to buy houses in Maitama.

    “I am international man and the publication has damaged my reputation. The name Magu does not only end with me. The publication caused a whole lot of trauma for my lineage, ” Magu said.

    However, while under cross examination by defence counsel, Charles Enwelunta, Magu said his wife is not a party in the suit he filed against the defendant.

    “Are you sure you read the story very well?” Enwelunta asked Magu.

    “Yes I read it over and over again and they did not say DSS was investigating my wife,” Magu said.

    Magu told the court that his appointment was to be confirmed by the Senate but that he does not know why the upper chamber declined to do so twice, when asked by the defence to name the arm of the government that was to confirm his appointment.

    He however said that he was not worried about the refusal of the Senate to confirm his appointment.

    When Enwelunta took him up on his activities in the EFCC, Magu maintained that he secure 200 convictions in court in respect of cases bordering on corruption.

    He said the Senate was in a better position to say why they rejected him adding, “ I have been there for three years and Nigerians are watching”.

    Magu admitted knowing Inda Sule Moses, Lawal Mammah, Najeeb Iman and Adebayo Adeleke Rafiu with whom he faced the Senate during the screening exercise.

    He said it was of no importance to him if there are forces trying to get him out of office. .

    Justice Okuwobi has adjourned the matter till February 28, 2019 for further hearing.

  • Why EFCC can’t arrest Diezani despite court order – Magu

    The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday explained why the commission was finding it difficult to arrest a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    According to the EFCC boss, Diezani is being protected by foreign law enforcement agencies from arrest and trial in Nigeria.

    Magu said this during a media chat in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The EFCC boss was reacting to a question on whether the EFCC would arrest Diezani as ordered by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo.

    He said, “I need less than 72 hours to produce Diezani but how can I get her? She is being protected by other law enforcement agencies outside this country. This is our predicament. If she were here, I would have arrested her.”

    When asked to clarify his statement, he said, “The barrier is that other law enforcement agencies are involved in the matter. You know she is in the UK and we are making preparations to get her. We have already gone to court and this was part of the process of extradition; that is the court should declare that a warrant of arrest be issued against her and that we produce her within 72 hours.”

    Magu said had Diezani been in Nigeria, he would have arrested the former oil minister in less than an hour.

    The EFCC boss said all law enforcement agencies in the world had been informed of Diezani’s status as a person of interest in Nigeria.

    “Even when the Italians visited us recently, they were asking questions about her,” he said.

    Magu said about 60 per cent of looted funds were still in Nigeria, adding that the commission could only succeed through the cooperation of Nigerians.

    He further stated that about 80 per cent of stolen Nigerian wealth was still hanging.

    The EFCC boss added, “More than 80 per cent of the loot outside the country is still hanging. Ask them why it is so difficult to repatriate these funds when it has been established that this money came from Nigeria and you know that this person does not own this money.

    “There is no justification. It is not a small amount of money. We have over $300m hanging in the Jersey Island, a UK foreign territory.”

    Magu said the EFCC would work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that taxpayers’ money is not used for elections.

  • Magu meets UK authorities, commences Diezani’s extradition process

    The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has met with National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom to kick-start the process of extraditing a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    The EFCC said in a statement that Magu met with the UK official on Thursday to also discuss the efforts of the commission in the recovery of all ill-gotten assets domiciled in foreign jurisdiction by Nigeria’s Politically Exposed Persons.

    “Outside the recovery of assets, the EFCC boss in the course of the high power meeting with officials of the NCA will also present the commission’s position on ways to fast-track the extradition of all PEPs who have found safe havens in foreign jurisdiction,” the statement read in part.

    Magu had explained why the anti-graft agency is bent on extraditing all PEPs.

    “For instance, speaking on the former minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, whose process of extradition from the UK has commenced, Magu explained that having waited for three years, the Nigerian government believes that it is time to initiate the extradition process,” the statement added.

    The EFCC said apart from Diezani, there were several other politically exposed persons who have fled the country 2015 when the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board in May 2015.

    It would be recalled that in 2017, a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of N7.6 billion alleged loot recovered by the Commission from the Diezani. The order of final forfeiture to the Federal Government.