….As a bill to amend the Extradition Act scales second reading in the Senate

By Henry Umoru

THE Senate has confirmed four persons as Managing and Executive Directors of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, (AMCON).

Gbenga Alade was confirmed yesterday as the Managing Director of AMCON while those confirmed as Executive Directors include, Adeshola Lamidi, Lucky Adaghe and Dr Aminu Mukhtar Dan’amu.

The confirmation of these nominees appointed by President Bola Tinubu was sequel to the consideration of  a report by the Chairman of Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, APC, Lagos East.

Recall that President Tinubu had on 24th February,  2024 requested the Senate to confirm these nominees on the 24th February, 2024.

Presenting the report,  Abiru assured that the nominees had undergone proper screening and were found competent to serve as in their respective positions.

According to him,  the nominees have complied with the Code of Conduct rules and no petition was raised in objection to their nomination.

READ ALSO: Tinubu appoints Gbenga Alade as AMCON CEO

Following the presentation of the report, the Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider each nominee based on their merit and subsequent approval.

Also yesterday,  the Senate passed for a bill for an Act to amend the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Act in order to extend the implementation year from 31st March, 2024 to 30th June, 2024 and for related matters, 2024( SB.399).

The bill which was presented by the leader of the Senate,  Senator Opeyemi Bamidele,  APC, Ekiti Central  was read the third time and passed.

In a similar  development,  moves by Senate to amend the extradition  Act, CAP E25, laws of the Federation of Nigeria,  2004, got a boost yesterday as it scaled second reading.

In his lead debate on the general principles of the bill,  Senator  Bamidele said, “The Extradition Act is the legislation that governs the process by which Nigeria can request and obtain the surrender of a person from another jurisdiction who is accused or convicted of a criminal offence outside the requesting jurisdiction’s territory.

“The Act is today set for amendment in order to ensure compliance with Nigeria’s obligation to the international bodies in the fight against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing and also to ensure the delisting of Nigeria by the ICRG from the grey list through compliance.

“The amendment Bill has been read on the floor of both Houses (the Senate and the House of Representatives) respectively.

“Section 2 subsection 1 of the Act is amended to allow Nigeria to accede to extradition requests from countries with which Nigeria has signed an extradition treaty – as opposed to only commonwealth countries, as is the case today. The present position of the Act applies only to countries within the Commonwealth and any other country with whom Nigeria establishes an extradition treaty or arrangement.

“Section 7 subsection 4 of the Act is amended to properly set out the procedure for issuance of warrant arrest of arrest for effective execution of extradition requests.”