Deziani : How N3.7 Billion UK House Put Ex-Minister & Others In Trouble

 There were indications on Monday on how a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and a former Managing Director of a parastatal under the NNPC got themselves into trouble with the police in the United Kingdom.

The PUNCH learnt that the purchase of houses each in London by the former minister and the sacked NNPC top shot had sent the police investigators after them since 2013.

Alison-Madueke and the ex-MD had bought a house each in London through a mortgage but the two were said to have attracted suspicion when they offered to pay huge sum to clear the mortgage on the properties.

A source said the ex-minister’s house cost £12.5m. The source was however silent on the cost of the house bought by the former MD of the subsidiary of the NNPC.

It was learnt that the UK’s National Crimes Agency had dispatched a team to Abuja for an investigation into the incomes of the affected public officers because of the huge amount of money that was being paid steadily to defray the amount on the mortgage.

The source explained that the police suspected that the mortgaged London properties might have been serviced with laundered money from the Government of Nigeria.

The source said, “This particular investigation did not originate from Nigeria. I can tell you that this is different from the investigation being conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into the financial operations of the NNPC under Alison-Madueke.

“This is a strictly UK investigation and it has to do with the procurement of a property in the UK for £12.5m through a mortgage arrangement in London.

“The UK authorities became suspicious when they realised that the agreed monthly amount for the mortgage was too high for the income of a public official without other sources of income.

“You know the (UK) people; they kept quiet when the whole arrangement was going on in 2013. They allowed the funds to go into their economy before they moved in against them with the intent to seize the properties.

“She was not the only person that bought the properties. The other guy, a close ally from the NNPC also bought a house in London. These are the issues the UK police are investigating.”

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EFCC Raid, Seal Diezani Alison-Maduekwe's Abuja Home Following Her Arrest in London(VIDEO)

 According to reports, the Asokoro, Abuja home of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has not only been raided but also sealed by officials of EFCC. They were there today and stayed for a few hours. There are security operatives reportedly currently stationed at the palatial home.

Diezani was arrested this morning in London for offences related to bribery and corruption and I hear there are plans to extradite her. Continue to see more below...

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Breaking : Ex-Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Arrested in London

 The immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was arrested in London today, PREMIUM TIMES can exclusively and authoritatively report.

The former minister, who was one of the most powerful officials of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, was arrested Friday morning alongside four other people by the UK National Crime Agency.

The identities of the four other people arrested along with her could not be immediately ascertained.

It was learnt that she was arrested for offences related to bribery and corruption being investigated by the UK National Crime Agency.

Two top British officials in London have confirmed the development to this newspaper. They requested not to be named because they had no permission to speak on the issue.

When contacted, the British High Commission in Nigeria confirmed that some arrests were made Friday but declined to disclose the identities of those involved.

Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer, said, “This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences. The crimes are being investigated by the National Crime Agency.

“The National Crime Agency does not confirm identity at arrest nor provide information that could be used to corroborate the identity of an arrested individual.”

It is not clear whether the former minister was arrested based on request from the Nigerian government.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on September 27 hinted that those who misappropriated billions of naira belonging to Nigeria’s state oil company NNPC, would soon be prosecuted.

Mr. Buhari said at a meeting with President Xi Jinping of China in New York that his administration was determined to fully sanitize Nigeria’s oil industry and make it totally free of corruption and shady deals.

The President did not, however, say how soon the prosecutions would start or if indeed investigations had been concluded and whether culpable individuals had been identified.

The NNPC under the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in several shady deals, many of which have been cancelled by the present government.

However, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, accused of several corrupt dealings, has stayed away from Nigeria since Mr. Buhari was sworn-in as president.

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Minister Of Petroleum Diezani Allison Madueke Allegedly Flees The Country

 After her reported failure to get President Jonathan and the ex-head of state, Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar secure a soft landing deal for her from Gen Buhari last weekend, Nigeria’s controversial petroleum minister, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke has fled the country to the United Kingdom.

According to reliable source in the presidential villa, “madam had to take off far ahead of the inauguration of the government of Gen Buhari because she is scared he may turn his searchlight on the oil sector.” Ironically, the minister who is widely known to travel around in private jets had to travel this time in the first class cabin of the British Airways flight.

When contacted to confirm the minister’s whereabouts, one of her aides who asked for anonymity confirmed Alison-Madueke indeed left the country on Monday morning but gave a different reason for the trip. According to the minister’s aide “it is true the Hon. Minister traveled but she went to take care of her health because she has been down medically and she needs proper medical attention.”

Asked when the minister will be back in the country, the aide said “no one can say when she will be back. That depends on her health and the advice of her doctors. She may come before May 29, she may decide to stay back with her children over there till anytime to take care of herself.”

Mrs Alison-Madueke is yet to account for the $20 billion which the former CBN governor and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has continued to insist was diverted from the federation account by the minister and her cronies in the NNPC.

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President Goodluck Jonathan Nominates Alison-Madueke As Secretary-General Of OPEC

 Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan to become Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), when the tenure of incumbent Abdullah al-Badri of Iraq expires in December 2014.

If the move sails through, Alison-Madueke will become the first female Secretary-General of OPEC.

74-year-old al-Badri has been Secretary-General of OPEC since 2007. He was also Libyan Minister for Oil and Electricity between 1990 and 2000. Source

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