Kola Aluko reveals why he paid rent for ex-minister’s mother

Nigerian oil tycoon, Kola Aluko has admitted paying rent for Mrs Beatrice Agama, the mother of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Alison-Madueke was detained in London on October 2, 2015, by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) over allegations that she laundered billions of dollars from her country’s treasury.

Aluko, who’s being investigated in connection with the case, admitted that he paid rent for Mrs Agama’s luxury home in Parkwood Point, St. Edmund's Terrace, St. John's Wood, London.

The businessman, who’s the founder of London-based Seven Energy, made the revelation to the UK’s Sunday Times.

According to The Times:

“Aluko confirmed a probe over potential violations of the UK Proceeds of Crime Act and Bribery Act but professed his innocence. He said: ‘I’m willing to co-operate with anybody. I have nothing to hide.’”

“Aluko admitted he paid the rent on a flat in St John’s Wood in London for Alison-Madueke’s mother, as well as bringing her ‘hams, sausages and orchids’. He said these were simply gifts to a friend, given long after Atlantic had signed its deal.”

Aluko’s company is alleged to have participated in the laundering of about $6 billion in oil funds from Nigeria in cahoots with Ms Alison-Madueke.

Pulse had exclusively reported on October 23that the former minister’s mother and brother were residents of luxury flats in London.

Online checks showed that a flat like Mrs Agama’s in St. John's Wood has a rent value of £10,400 per month and a sale value of £3.1 million.

Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama has a flat in Tavistock Square, Holborn and a similar residence had a sale value of about £687,500 and a rent value of about £1,950 per month.

Mrs Agama is also involved in the case against her daughter as separate sums of £5,000 and $2,000 were seized from her by the NCA as part of its investigations.

READ: Pulse uncovers luxury homes of Diezani Alison-Madueke's family members in London

Nigeria’s oil sector, which Diezani was in charge of, has been plagued with massive corruption for many years leading new President, Muhammadu Buhari to take the decision to head the industry himself in order to sanitize it.