Ebun Francis| A high court in Adamawa on Thursday ordered the arrest of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, for her role in bribing INEC officials to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
The court directed Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), to liaise with the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to execute the order.
The presiding judge, Nathan Musa, gave this order while delivering judgement against Ibrahim Umar and Sahabo Hamman, two staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who received the bribe from the exiled former petroleum minister.
According to Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesperson, the former minister, and three others were charged “for allegedly deploying over N362million derived from a $115m slush fund to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential elections in favour of the candidate of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”.
Count two of the charge read: “That you, Ibrahim Mohammed Umar, Sahabo Iya Hamman and Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (now at large) sometime between March and May 2015 in Yola, Adamawa state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being a public officer working with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and retired public servant and former minister of petroleum resources (now at large) and in capacities, did corruptly procure monetary benefit of three hundred and sixty-two million naira, (N362,000,000.00) in favour of public officers and staff working with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Adamawa State, contrary to and punishable under Section 9 (1) (a) & (b) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Alison-Madueke, fled Nigeria to the United Kingdom shortly after her party, the PDP lost the 2015 presidential election.
The EFCC is currently working at extraditing her back to Nigeria.
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