The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has named several of Nigeria’s oil moguls and firms as suspects in a multibillion-naira corruption case involving Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources.
The EFCC, in a document filed with a motion ex-parte, sought to question Alison-Madueke about her business relationships with Mr. Onajite Okoloko’s Midwestern Oil & Gas Company Limited, Mr. Tonye Cole’s Sahara Energy Group, Chief lkpea Leemon of Lee Engineering Group, Mr Donald Amamgbo, and Mr Afam Nwokedi, according to the EFCC’s counsel, Farouk Abdulla.
According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), Miss Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde, Christopher Aire, Harcourt Adukeh, Julian Osula, Dauda Lawal, Mr Leno Laithan, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited, both owned by Jide Omokore, Septa Energy Limited, and others are among those named.
A Federal High Court, Abuja, resided over by Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, had, on Monday, issued an arrest warrant against the former minister believed to be residing in the UK, having failed to honour the summons by the court.
According to Abdullah, the EFCC’s counsel, the arrest warrant was needed to further give the International Police (INTERPOL) the impetus to bring the defendant to Nigeria to answer to charges against her.
Abdullah had, in an application, urged the court “to issue an arrest warrant against Alison-Madueke, who is believed to be in the UK to enable all law enforcement agencies and the INTERPOL to arrest her anywhere she is sighted and bring her before the court to answer to the allegations made against her before the court.”
Among other allegations against Diezani are “her role in the chartering of private jets by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Ministry of Petroleum Resources and her role in the award of contracts by NNPC to Marine and Logistics Services Limited.
“Her role in financing the 2015 general elections”
The EFCC also noted that it equally wanted the ex-minister to speak on several items, documents and Jeweleries recovered from her house at No: 10, Chiluba Close, off Jose Marti Street, Asokoro, Abuja, and some identified properties that were linked to her In Nigeria, UK, U.S., United Arab Emirate and South Africa.