The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, says the United States is yet to notify the Nigerian authorities of the indictment of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Limited.
Malami told newsmen last night that the U.S. government had neither officially communicated Onyema’s indictment to Nigeria nor requested his arrest or extradition based on a mutual legal agreement on criminal matters between the two countries.
The AGF’s comments are the first official reaction to the indictment.
This is coming on the heels of a report that a United States District Court in the Northern District of Georgia had issued a warrant of arrest against Onyema after his indictment on money laundering and bank fraud charges in the U.S.
According to court documents obtained by newsmen, the warrant was signed by an American magistrate, Justin Anand, on November 19.
It authorised the U.S. Marshals Service to immediately take Onyema into custody for questioning.
Consequently, the report also said, the United States authorities had frozen about $14.2 million in different bank accounts linked to companies registered by Onyema.