Supreme Court Approves Former NSPM Boss’ Extradition To UK

The Supreme Court on Friday approved the extradition of former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPM), Emmanuel Okoyomon, to the United Kingdom to face bribery charges.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed Okoyomon’s appeal seeking to overturn the June 6, 2016 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

The panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, held that the appeal, marked SC/456/2016, lacked merit.

In the lead judgment prepared by Justice Emmanuel Agim and read by Justice Mohammed Idris, the Supreme Court held that Okoyomon failed to make out a case requiring the court to interfere with the decisions of the lower courts.

The panel dismissed the appeal but did not award costs against the appellant.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) had applied for Okoyomon’s extradition to the UK to face trial over alleged complicity in a bribery case involving officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the NSPM and Securency International Pty of Australia.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had, on May 4, 2015, granted the AGF’s request.

Okoyomon later challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal, alleging a breach of his right to fair hearing.

However, the appellate court upheld the Federal High Court’s decision and held that Nigeria had an obligation under the London Scheme for Extradition within the Commonwealth to surrender persons wanted for extradition offences by another Commonwealth country.

In its judgment, the Court of Appeal held that the provisions of the London Scheme had been substantially enacted into Nigerian law through the Extradition Act.

Justice Moore Adumein, who delivered the lead judgment at the appellate court, ruled that the AGF made out a case for extradition, while Okoyomon failed to convince the court why the application should be refused.

The appellate court also rejected Okoyomon’s argument that the trial court’s consideration of whether he was a British citizen caused a miscarriage of justice.

The court held that the issue did not affect the merit of the extradition application.

Dissatisfied with the decision, Okoyomon approached the Supreme Court, which dismissed his appeal on Friday.