Embattled Abba Kyari’s extradition to the United States of America will be decided by the court on August 29.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, said judgement in a suit seeking to extradite Kyari to the United States of America to face fraud charges would be decided.
Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, filed the extradition proceedings against Kyari, seeking the court’s approval to surrender him to the United States government.
Kyari, a suspended deputy commissioner of police, is wanted by the American government over pending fraud charges filed against him and others at the Central District Court of Central District of California.
U.S. prosecutors accuse him of complicity in the $1.1million international fraud spearheaded by Abbas Ramon, popularly known as Hushpuppi. Hushpuppi is a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, who now awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to the scam and other criminal activities.
After taking final arguments from lawyers to the federal government and Mr Kyari, on Friday, the judge, Inyang Ekwo, said judgement will be delivered in the case on August 29.
Earlier, Kyari’s lawyer, Nureni Jimoh, asked the court to refuse the extradition request on the grounds that he committed no offence to warrant the Nigerian government to ferry him to the U.S.
“I know as a fact that the specified offences are of a political character and were in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting and punishing the Respondent on account of his race, nationality and was not made in good faith nor in the interest of justice,” the defence lawyer said.
