The Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has vowed that a former minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke will be extradited before the end of the year to face corruption charges.
He also accused the anti-graft agencies, international partners, especially in the United Kingdom of giving what he described as undue protection to the former minister.
Magu spoke on Wednesday during an official visit to the Ibadan Zonal Office of the commission where he was received by the Zonal Head, Mr Friday Ebelo accompanied by other top officials.
He added that the agency is already changing its tactics and strategy of engaging foreign partners to ensure the extradiction of the former minister of petroleum is secured soon.
Fielding questions from reporters after a tour of the facilities at the Zonal office, Magu expressed sadness at the slow pace of investigation by the foreign partners, especially those involved with the former ministers of petroleum case, saying they could have released her to come and face charges at home having found enough evidences against her in Nigeria.
Noting that the whistle-blower policy is still active and yielding results, the anti graft agency boss enjoined Nigerians both with and outside the country to collaborate with the agency by providing needed information that can aid nabbing corrupt individuals in the country.
He also added that the agency is readier for the concluding elections by fighting vote buying in affected parts of the country, urging the people not to go to the voting areas with huge amount of monies so as not to fall victim of been arrested for vote buying.
He said, “I want to thank all of you (media) for been partners and for helping us by collaborating with us in doing what we are doing, we are a very essential partner, the edits is very important. In fact, you people are the anti-corruption crusaders because your choice of profession is a desire for you to insist on doing the right thing for people, to fight against injustice to fellow human beings. That is an important aspect that has helped us to this level. We are here and we are doing very well.
“And we are doing everything possible. This year, we are going to upgrade everything we are doing. Rerun elections and all outstanding elections are to be concluded, we are part of it and we are going to fight against vote buying. Everybody is on our radar, so I want you to join us on that day so that we can expose the vote buyers and collect their money.
“And if you are going there, make sure you don’t carry more than maybe N25, 000, otherwise, they will arrest everybody that carries unusual amount of money on their body. So, we are going on with the fight against vote buying during next Saturday’s elections in the affected states across the nation.”