Nigeria ‘bungling’ Ogwuche’s extradition

Nigeria has been unable to extradite Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, the suspected co-mastermind of the April 14 Nyanya blast, from Sudan because of a procedural failure, a Sudanese newspaper has reported.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the blast that killed 75 persons at a bus station, while security agencies declared Ogwuche wanted. He was eventually arrested by Interpol in Sudan.

But initial hopes that he would be brought home to help the security agencies with investigation as well as face trial are beginning to fade as the process is taking very long.

There were also speculations that a Nigerian emir with strong political connections in Sudan had blocked the extradition in order to prevent Ogwuche from naming him as one of the financiers of Boko Haram.

However, the Sudanese newspaper reported last weekend that Nigerians officials arrived Sudan without the necessary documentation, thereby stalling the process.

It reported: “A team of Nigerian officials including security agents who travelled to Sudan with the aim of effecting the extradition were turned back by Sudanese officials on the grounds that that they needed the court papers particularly the charge sheet detailing the offences for which Ogwuche was being prosecuted.”

A Nigerian government official who spoke with TheCable expressed disappointment with the handling of the extradition.

“Our security agents are used to doing things without procedure. They think they can just go to Sudan and grab Ogwuche without following internationally laid-down procedures. This is a shame,” he said.

Ogwuche, who studied Arabic at Sudan’s International University of Africa, was once in the Nigerian army intelligence unit. He reportedly deserted the army in 2006.