LAGOS, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria is making all necessary arrangements to extradite former Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke to face charges of fraud, an official said Tuesday.
Johnson Ojogbane, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency prosecuting Adoke, disclosed this in Abuja, the nation's capital.
The EFCC took Adoke and two multinational oil companies to court on charges of alleged 1.1 billion-U.S. dollar Malabu Oil scam.
On the last adjourned date, the judge, Justice John Tsoho, fixed June 13, for arraignment of Adoke and the other co-defendants.
Ojogbane, however, told reporters that the matter could not proceed because the EFCC had been unable to get Adoke and other defendants.
"The matter was adjourned until today for arraignment of the defendants, but up till now, we have not been able to secure the attendance of most of the defendants, because they are outside jurisdiction, that is they are outside the country," he said.
"The Government is doing everything within its powers to bring them back to Nigeria so that they can face their trial," he added.
According to him, the government will take steps, in collaboration with the international police to locate them and bring them back to Nigeria through extradition.
Ojogbane said the court adjourned the matter until Oct. 26.
Nigeria's anti graft commission had in December 2016, charged nine suspects, including Adoke, over the purchase of OPL 245.
Adoke was accused of illegally transferring more than 800 million dollars purportedly meant for the purchase of the OPL 245 to Dan Etete, Malabu Oil.
The Nigerian government had also on March 2, filed fresh charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited and Agip Nigeria Exploration Limited for alleged complicity in the 1.1 billion-U.S. dollar Malabu scandal. Enditem
