The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has refused to comment on whether his government will accede to President Muhammad Buhari’s request for former oil minister, Diezani Madueke to be extradited to Nigeria.
In an interview with Punch, Arkwright declined to respond when asked if Madueke would be extradited by to Nigeria by the British government.
He however said, “It is a matter of public record that £27,000 was seized from Diezani Allison-Madueke at Westminster Magistrates Court along with smaller sums from two other individuals, but we are not providing any further detail at this time and it should not be inferred that this relates to any previous statements made by the UK National Crime Agency.”
Also, speaking on former Delta State governor James Ibori’s loot, Arkwright said, “The UK has ensured that assets seized, confiscated or forfeited that fall within Article 57 United Nations Convention Against Corruption 2005 are returned to the country from which they were stolen. We are working with the Nigerian authorities to deliver an effective mechanism for the return of stolen funds and assets from Nigeria.
“None of the money from Ibori’s confiscation has as yet been returned; his confiscation hearing is scheduled to take place later in 2016. Assets have been forfeited and confiscated from linked trials and we are, through the Home Office, working on the modality of their return, he said.
“The UK government does not aid corruption in Nigeria or elsewhere. The arrest and prosecution of James Ibori in a UK court demonstrates our commitment to this agenda.”