A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved the extradition of a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company, Mr Ehidiamhem Okoyomon, to the United Kingdom to face charges of bribery and corruption.
Justice Evoh Chukwu on Monday ordered that Mr Okoyomon should be extradited within 30 days to the Untied Kingdom for the trial.
Mr Okoyomon is wanted in the United Kingdom over his alleged role in the bribery involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Security and Minting Company and Security International Party of Australia.
He had approached the court to stop his extradition to the United Kingdom to face charges of corruption.
Power To Extradite
Operatives of the economic and crimes commission led him into a waiting security vehicle after the court’s decision.
In his judgment, Justice Chukwu held that there was a treaty agreement between Nigeria and the United Kingdom and since the treaty was valid and applicable in Nigeria the Federal Government had the power to extradite the accused person.
Justice Chukwu held that all legal procedures were properly followed by Nigeria’s Justice Minister, with the placement of certified true copy of letter of indictment of the accused and letter of request for his extradition from the British High Commissioner before the court, as stipulated by the law.
He said Mr Okoyomon did not challenge all issues of corruption levelled against him by the documents from the United Kingdom, meaning that he accepted the allegation brought against him.
The Judge further pointed out that no Nigerian court would willingly surrender it’s citizen to any country for trial, “but in this case, Okoyomon is a British citizen, as such there is nothing wrong in his extradition to his country for trial”.
After the decision of the court, the counsel to Mr Okoyomon, Chike Ekeocha, said his client would explore other means to stop his extradition.
With the ruling, the Federal Government can, within the next 30 days, extradite the former boss of the Nigerian Securities Minting and Printing Company to the United Kingdom to answer charges against him.
