Extradition: Court of Appeal Dashes Ex-MINT Boss, Okoyomon’s Bail Hope…,Granted stay of extradition
Adetokunbo Fakeye
The hope of former MINT boss, Emmanuel Okoyomon, whose extradition is being sought by the United Kingdom government, UK, over his alleged involvement in the bribery allegation involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, NSPM and Security International Pty of Australia between 2006 and 2008 to go home on bail was dashed on Friday as Court of Appeal, Abuja Division turned down his bail application.
However, he got a respite on the second application as the court granted his plea for stay of execution on the order to extradite him.
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 however, stall his extradition, Okoyomon 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 .
But, 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Hassan argued that, the 1931 treaty became applicable to Nigeria in 1935 and was never repealed by any enactment, stressing that schedule 2 under Extradition law provides that, “the law shall apply to all Commonwealth Nations”.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 he is being remanded in prison custody pending his extradition.
Dissatisfied by the ruling, Okoyomon, through his counsel, Izinyon, SAN, approached the Court of Appeal seeking for a stay of execution of the order of the lower court.
The appellate court in its ruling on Okoyomon’s applications on Friday, refused his bail, but granted his application for stay of execution on his extradition pending the determination of the appeal before it.