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International arrest warrants issued by Nigeria for two allies of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo are part of a witch-hunt, one of their lawyers says. Nasir el-Rufai was the minister for Abuja and Nuhu Ribadu once headed the anti-corruption agency, the EFCC. "The point of the arrest warrants is not to arrest these men but to deter them from returning to Nigeria," Mr el-Rufai's lawyer told the BBC. But he said they wanted to return home to continue a fight against corruption. Police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu told the BBC that Interpol was being contacted because of a court order requesting the men's extradition. Both have failed to make appearances in court in connection with EFCC cases.