EFCC invades Diezani’s Abuja residence …after London arrest,

Firstclass newsline gathered that the 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 a source 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 gathered 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 gathered 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.
A source 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.
Firstclass newsline 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 a source on Friday.
Firstclass newsline 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 the source 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 a source 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 a source 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 toThe 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, gathered 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.
Firstclassnewsline.net