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Former
Nigeria's Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke
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The immediate past
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was on Friday arrested
in London. 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.
PREMIUM
TIMES learnt 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.
PREMIUM
TIMES report continues:
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.
EFCC Swoops On Abuja
Residence As Alison-Madueke Arrested In London
TheCable
reports that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
on Friday carried out a search of the Asokoro, Abuja, residence of Diezani
Alison-Madueke as part of a multinational investigation of the former minister
of petroleum resources.
The
former minister was arrested in London, UK, on Friday by the newly
formed International Corruption Unit of the country’s National Crimes
Agency.
The
agency announced on its website on Friday that it had arrested five people
“across London” as part of an investigation into suspected bribery and money
laundering offences.
TheCable
understands that the operations are being coordinated with several
international agencies because of the “sensitive” nature of the investigation.
EFCC made “significant
recovery” of documents at the Abuja of the former minister, TheCable was
informed by a senior security source.
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