The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said that it will extradite any corrupt Nigerian official being sought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after May 29.

The FBI said it would arrest and extradite such official if the US government gave it the go ahead.

Briefing the US-based foreign reporters in New York, an FBI Special Agent, Mr. Austin Berglas, said, ”FBI will act if the Nigerian government asks and the State Department wants to, but the FBI does not make the decision, we are the main law enforcement agency.”

He said based on the extradition agreement between Nigeria and the US, certain paper work would have to be done.

According to the report, the EFCC has set in motion plans to ensure that elected public officers, particularly state governors whose constitutional immunity protection has hampered the agency from prosecuting, are tried after the handover date.

However, fears have been expressed that some of such politicians may flee the country.

But officials of the FBI explained that if the Nigerian government made a request to the State Department, and the department passed it to the FBI to help apprehend such individuals, the US law enforcement agency would act.

The FBI official added, ”The Nigerian government, through its diplomatic mission here in the US will file the necessary papers, your government lawyers will coordinate with the Justice and State Departments here requesting the extradition based on the Nigerian law.”

The FBI‘s Public Affairs Officer, Neil Donovan, added that the extradition would also depend on the provision of the Nigerian constitution and on the treaty between both countries.