Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the extradition of convicted drug offender Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya to the United Kingdom to serve a 66-month prison sentence imposed on him by a British court for drug-related offences, ending a 13-year cat-and-mouse chase that saw him abscond while on bail and flee to Nigeria.
Justice Ayokunle Faji, in a judgment delivered on July 6, 2026, granted an application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation under the Extradition Act, holding that all statutory requirements for extradition had been satisfied. The application, filed on March 6, 2026, followed a formal request by the United Kingdom for Ilomuanya's return after he was convicted and sentenced by the Isleworth Crown Court. He had absconded while on bail and was subsequently tried in absentia.
Justice Faji held that the Federal Government had established a prima facie case by producing all necessary extradition documents, including an authenticated certificate of conviction, a warrant of arrest issued by UK authorities, and diplomatic communications requesting Ilomuanya's surrender. Relying on the Supreme Court's decision in Attorney-General of the Federation v. Princewill Ugonna Anuebunwa (2022), the judge ruled that the offences for which Ilomuanya was convicted were extraditable and that the UK's request complied with Nigeria's Extradition Act.
The court dismissed Ilomuanya's argument that the application was invalid because it was not personally signed by the Attorney-General of the Federation. Justice Faji held that under Section 4 of the Law Officers Act, the Attorney-General is permitted to delegate the signing of official documents to officers within the Federal Ministry of Justice. "The presence of the seal of a law officer in the chambers of the Attorney-General substantially complies with the law. Technical objections relating to signatures, seals, or the failure to tick the signatory's name cannot invalidate these proceedings," the judge ruled.
The judge also rejected Ilomuanya's claim that ill health prevented him from travelling to the UK. Ilomuanya had told the court he was undergoing traditional medical treatment in Imo State and could not endure flights lasting more than two hours. However, Justice Faji held that no credible medical evidence was placed before the court. "There is no report from any orthodox medical practitioner, no meaningful description of the alleged ailment, and no particulars identifying the traditional medical practitioner said to be treating the respondent," the judge held. He also questioned how Ilomuanya was able to travel from the United Kingdom to Nigeria if he was medically incapable of undertaking long-distance flights, concluding that the health claim appeared to have been raised merely to frustrate the execution of the sentence imposed by the British court.
Ilomuanya, also known as Val, Valentine Ilomuanya, and Henry Ilomuanya, has a long history of drug-related offences. He was first arrested and convicted in the UK in February 2003 for drug trafficking and sentenced to nine years in prison, but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal. Not done with crime, he was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 for drug-related offences, granted administrative bail, but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria. He remained on the run for 15 years before being apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Lagos on February 23, 2026.
The court also dismissed Ilomuanya's argument that the 13-year delay between his conviction and the extradition request rendered the proceedings oppressive, observing that the respondent had fled the United Kingdom while on bail and could not rely on the delay caused by his actions to defeat justice. "I do not, however, see anything that renders the request for his extradition oppressive or unjust," Justice Faji held. The extradition order sends a clear message that those who flee justice cannot escape the long arm of the law. As the judge put it: "A duly convicted person who jumped bail must not be allowed to escape the long arms of the law."
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