Police: Why We Released Lebanese Suspect

The Nigeria Police Force has given reasons for the release of a Lebanese national Mr. Ahmad Mehdi arrested last month in Umuahia, Abia State for alleged theft, saying he was released on bail to enable the Force compile documents for his extradition.

Commissioner of Police in charge of Interpol in Nigeria, Mr. Rasheed Akintunde told THISDAY yesterday that his office was compiling documents to forward to the Federal Ministry of Justice to facilitate Mehdi’s extradition to Lebanon.

The police boss said he notified the Lebanese Ambas- sador to Nigeria on Mehdi’s arrest, and that the embassy was cooperating on the matter.

“The arrest was necessitated by a request from Interpol in Lebanon. We released him on bail because we cannot detain him indefinitely. We are working with the Federal Ministry of Justice on the matter,” said Akintunde.

Mehdi, THISDAY gathered, was arrested in the wake of a complaint by his former boss , Francois Chidiac, over the theft of large sums of money over several years. It was also gathered that Mehdi was facing charges in a court in Lebanon before he fled to Nigeria, prompting Interpol’s warrant for his arrest.