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| Deadline for Nigeria ex-governors | Deadline for Nigeria ex-governors |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Nigeria's anti-graft agency has given 15 ex-governors wanted for corruption until the end of Friday to turn themselves in or face arrest. | Nigeria's anti-graft agency has given 15 ex-governors wanted for corruption until the end of Friday to turn themselves in or face arrest. |
| Five of the former governors have already been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an official has told the BBC. | Five of the former governors have already been quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an official has told the BBC. |
| EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu declined to name the ex-governors being probed. | EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu declined to name the ex-governors being probed. |
| The governors enjoyed immunity from prosecution until their terms of office expired last month. | The governors enjoyed immunity from prosecution until their terms of office expired last month. |
| The EFCC has said it was investigating almost all of the 36 governors on allegations of corruption. | The EFCC has said it was investigating almost all of the 36 governors on allegations of corruption. |
| "When the deadline lapses, we will declare them wanted according to our laws. We will obtain warrants and arrest them wherever they are found," Mr Ribadu told the BBC. | "When the deadline lapses, we will declare them wanted according to our laws. We will obtain warrants and arrest them wherever they are found," Mr Ribadu told the BBC. |
| On the run | On the run |
| Some of the former governors have already fled the country, but Mr Ribadu says the EFCC will work towards having them extradited to answer graft and money laundering charges. | |
| "They used to have constitutional immunity. Now they no longer have that. We have invited them to come, but if they don't, then we may have to take tougher steps. | "They used to have constitutional immunity. Now they no longer have that. We have invited them to come, but if they don't, then we may have to take tougher steps. |
| "We shall declare them wanted and try to have them extradited from wherever they have fled to or have them tried wherever they have gone to." | "We shall declare them wanted and try to have them extradited from wherever they have fled to or have them tried wherever they have gone to." |
| Former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye has been questioned in the UK on money-laundering charges but skipped bail. His present whereabouts are not known. | |
| Six governors were re-elected in April's elections and so retain their immunity. | Six governors were re-elected in April's elections and so retain their immunity. |
| Another seven won seats in Nigeria's Senate, even though one of them appears to have abandoned his seat and has reportedly fled to Spain. | |
| But unlike the governors, parliamentarians are not protected from criminal prosecution under Nigerian law. | But unlike the governors, parliamentarians are not protected from criminal prosecution under Nigerian law. |
| Nigeria is seen as one of the world's most corrupt countries. | Nigeria is seen as one of the world's most corrupt countries. |
| New President Umaru Yar'Adua has promised to continue with his predecessor's campaign against corruption. | New President Umaru Yar'Adua has promised to continue with his predecessor's campaign against corruption. |
| Critics of former President Olusegun Obasanjo say it was a cover to persecute his political rivals. | Critics of former President Olusegun Obasanjo say it was a cover to persecute his political rivals. |