Supreme Court Orders Extradition Of Nigerian Wanted In US

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has ordered the extradition of Princewill Ugonna Anuebunwa, wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to the United States.

Anuebunwa is wanted in America to answer charges bordering on two counts of “conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aiding and abetting.”

Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami made the request through the Central Authority Unit (CAU).

The department under the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja is headed by Akutah Pius Ukeyima.

The Supreme Court restored the June 1, 2020 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, setting aside the November 6, 2020 judgment by the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal had, in a judgment marked CA/A/CV/387/2020 after Anuebunwa’s suit, overturned the Federal High Court verdict, which granted the AGF’s request.

Ordering the reversal, Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, in the lead judgment read by Justice Tijani Abubakar, faulted the Court of Appeal’s decision, insisting that the suspect go defend himself.

In January 2020, Justice Mojisola Dada of Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Special Offences section, sentenced Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa to one year in prison.

Justice Dada ordered Anuebunwa to forfeit the sum of N29.220million found in his procession to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He was found guilty on two charges of conspiracy to steal and retain stolen property contrary to Sections 411 and 328(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The convict committed the crime alongside his brother, Princewill Ugonna Anuebunwa, who was then at large.

In July 2019, the FBI petitioned the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) notifying that the siblings allegedly perpetrated Business Email Compromise (BEC), romance scams, mystery shopper fraud and tax fraud.