Operatives of the Economic Financial Crimes
Commission have taken over the residence of
the former Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in Asokoro,
Abuja.
The operatives stormed Alison-Madueke’s
residence on Friday shortly after she was
arrested by the police in the United Kingdom.
The EFCC officials, who were fully armed, were
sighted in two buses at the gate of the
residence as of 8pm on Friday.
They had earlier stormed the place with three
trucks, one of which was marked ‘police.’
Earlier, the former minister was arrested by
the operatives of the National Crime Agency in
London, the United Kingdom.
Investigations revealed that Alison-Madueke
was arrested in relation to offences bordering
on fraud and bribery.
The Spokesman for the UK High Commission
in Abuja, Joe Abuku, confirmed to one of our
correspondents that five persons were arrested
by the agency.
The International Corruption Unit of the NCA,
on its website, also confirmed the arrest of five
people across London as part of an
investigation into suspected bribery and
money laundering activities.
The ICU is mainly responsible for investigating
international corruption affecting developing
countries.
Findings also revealed that her arrest was
connected with her alleged mismanagement of
the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
and missing funds in the corporation.
It was learnt that the Seizure Organised Crime
Agency within the National Crimes Agency of
the UK was responsible for arresting Alison-
Madueke over the ongoing probe of
allegations against her.
It was also learnt that Alison-Madueke was
picked up by operatives of the SOCA at the
instance of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, which had also been
probing her in Nigeria, discreetly.
Saturday PUNCH investigations revealed that
the SOCA has a working agreement with the
EFCC in the area of investigation of
allegations of financial crimes and proceeds of
such crimes.
The source said, “It is true that the former
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Alison-
Maduake, has been arrested by the UK’s
National Crimes Agency, not the Metropolitan
Police.
“There is an agency within the National Crimes
Agency called the Seizures Organised Crimes
Agency. She was actually arrested by
operatives of SOCA because the agency has a
working agreement with the EFCC.
“We have been cooperating with SOCA on a
number of issues. “I can tell you that Diezani
is being quizzed over allegations of bribery
and fraud by the UK police.”
Investigations further revealed that the EFCC
dispatched a team of crack investigators to
Alison-Madueke’s residence at Frederick
Chiluba Avenue, Asokoro, Abuja, moments
after the commission was alerted that the
investigation had commenced from the UK’s
end.
It was further gathered that the EFCC
operatives were still searching her residence
as of the time of filing this report.
A relation of Alison-Madueke, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, confirmed her arrest
to one of our correspondents on Friday.
Our correspondent could not get the Head of
Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, to comment on the issue as
repeated calls to his mobile telephone line
indicated that it was either switched off or in
an area outside network coverage.
Speaking to one of our correspondents on the
telephone, an official of the NCA, who didn’t
disclose his identity, said he could not
comment on an ongoing investigation.
“I’m afraid I cannot comment on an ongoing
investigation,” he said. Another official of the
ICU, who also didn’t disclose his identity, told
Saturday PUNCH on the telephone that he
could neither confirm nor deny that the former
petroleum minister was arrested.
“It is part of our policy not to disclose
information like that to anyone, so I cannot
confirm nor deny that she has been arrested,”
the official said.
Another official at the Press Office of the
Department for International Development said
he would get in touch with Saturday PUNCH
on the development, but he had yet to do so
as of the time of publishing this report.
The ICU, however, said it was stepping up its
work to investigate cases of international
corruption affecting developing countries. Its
International Development Secretary, Justine
Greening, on the agency’s website, said,
“Corruption is not only picking the pockets of
the poor, it is an enemy of prosperity and a
brake on a country’s development. Through
the international corruption unit, the best of
British law enforcement will step up our aid
work combating corruption head on across the
developing world.”
The Joint Head of the ICU, Jon Benton, also
said the work the agency was doing was
absolutely vital for helping developing
countries get back what is rightfully theirs.
“The UK has zero tolerance for overseas
bribery and corruption,” he said.
Meanwhile, a source at the EFCC confirmed to
The Cable, an online newspaper that the
commission carried out a raid on Friday at the
residence of the former minister.
The raid took place just few minutes after the
ICU arrested the former minister, the report
said.
“The raid on her [Alison-Madueke] residence
today (Friday) yielded vital information that
will help in the prosecution of the case. Many
agencies across several countries are involved
in this investigation. Anti-money laundering
agencies in Austria, France, Switzerland,
Nigeria and the UK are working together on
it,” the source was quoted to have said.
The former petroleum resources minister’s
arrest came two days after President
Muhammadu Buhari announced himself as
Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum.
He had vowed to recover all looted funds
worth several millions of dollars that were
allegedly stolen in the petroleum ministry
under the watch of Alison-Madueke, who had
become an object of attacks from Nigerians
over scandals that rocked the ministry during
the former administration.
For instance, in June 2008, Alison-Madueke
was subjected to a Senate probe after it
emerged that as Transport Minister, she had
paid N30.9bn ($263m) to contractors between
December 26 and 31, 2007. She is said to be
worth over N1bn.
However, she has never been officially charged
or tried for these allegations and has strongly
denied any wrongdoing. She was alleged to
have spent billions of dollars inappropriately
on private jets and responsible for some $
20bn, reportedly missing.
She is also widely accused of reckless
spending of government funds. When
contacted, the Special Adviser to the President
on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina,
said, “I have no comment or information on it.
It is a security matter.”
Meanwhile, EFCC operatives also stormed the
home of Jide Omokore, one of her business
allies while she was the oil minister.
Omokore owns SPOG and Atlantic Energy and
is said to be involved in multi-billion dollar oil
deals, including kerosene scam that denied
Nigeria’s treasury by over $6bn.
It was reported by Sahara Reporters that
Omokore’s 9 Turnbull Street home in Ikoyi,
Lagos and his Glover Street, Ikoyi office were
raided by the EFCC operatives.
It was, however, learnt that the former
minister was granted bail hours after she was
detained by the ICU.
A report by Channels TV said that the London
Police confirmed that she had been charged to
court for money laundering and she’s expected
to appear at the Charing Cross Police Station
for questioning on Monday.
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