Nigerian court orders arrest of former minister

<p>By Rafiu Ajakaye</p> <p>LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) – A Nigerian court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke on money laundering and other corruption charges.</p> <p>Justice Valentine Ashi of Federal High Court ordered relevant authorities to arrest Alison-Madueke and produce before the court within 72 hours.</p> <p>The order followed an ex parte motion filed by the country's anti-graft agency, asking the court to set off the process of extraditing the former minister from the United Kingdom, where she had been since leaving office in 2015.</p> <p>Alison-Madueke faces multiple allegations of corruption over her headship of the Petroleum Ministry under former President Goodluck Jonathan.</p> <p>Many houses linked to the former minister have been seized while accounts traced to her had already been frozen.</p> <p>The former minister denies any wrongdoing. </p><br>