The Court of Appeal,
Abuja Division, on Friday, June 26, 2015 turned down the bail application of
Emmanuel Okoyomon, a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer,
Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM, whose extradition is
being sought by the United Kingdom government over his alleged role in the
bribery allegation involving officials of Central Bank of Nigeria , CBN, the
Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM and Securency
International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008.
However, the court
granted Okoyomon’s plea for stay of execution on the order to extradite him.
The UK government had,
through the office of Attorney General of the Federation, requested Okoyomon to
be extradited to face charges of corruption and money laundering
In a bid to stall his
extradition, Okoyomon had, in October, 2014 through his counsel, Alex Iziyon,
SAN, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the application to
extradite him.
Iziyon in his argument
posited that, there is no extradition treaty between Nigeria and the United
Kingdom.
He further argued that,
the London Scheme for extradition within the Commonwealth, 2002, does not apply
in Nigeria.
However, M. S Hassan,
who represented the Attorney General of the Federation, countered Izinyon’s
submission.
Hassan argued that, the
1931 treaty became applicable to Nigeria in 1935 and was never repealed by any
enactment, stressing that schedule 2 under Extradition law provides that, “the
law shall apply to all Commonwealth Nations”.
Ruling on the matter on
Monday, May 4, 2015, Justice E. S Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in
Maitama, Abuja ordered Okoyomon to be extradited to the UK within 30 days from
the date of the ruling to face trial, while being remanded in prison custody
pending his extradition.
Dissatisfied by the
ruling, Okoyomon, through his counsel, Izinyon, SAN, approached the Court of
Appeal seeking a stay of execution of
the order of the lower court.
The appellate court in
its ruling on Okoyomon’s applications today, refused his bail, while granting a
stay of execution on his extradition pending the determination of the appeal
before it.
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