UK detectives arrive Nigeria over ex-minister's case

The ongoing probe of Dieziani Allison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources seems to have taken a new dimension following the arrival of investigators from the United Kingdom.

The Nation reports that the team of investigators inspected the former minister’s multi-billion naira mansion, her £600,000 exotic wrist watch and gold and diamond jewelry which have been confiscated.

It was gathered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also frozen Mrs Alison-Madueke’s bank accounts.

Mrs Allison-Madueke is under investigation over the missing $20billion oil cash, phoney crude oil lifting contracts, $115million poll bribery money, the $1.092b Malabu oil deal and the N5.2 billion ($25m) oil cash paid by an Indian oil firm for an oil block

The former minister and four others were arrested in London on October 2, 2015 by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

READ: Dieziani: First Bank official assisting EFCC in case against ex-minister

All the suspects were released on conditional police bail, pending further investigation both in the UK and Nigeria.

“With the outcome of the fact-finding mission of the UK team, I think so far, the investigation has reached a convenient bend for the prosecution of the ex-minister," an EFCC official said.

Officials of the EFCC are currently investigating Mrs Alison-Madueke’s involving a $115 million (N23, 299,705,000 billion) 2015 poll bribery scandal.

READ: Dieziani: EFCC recovers N6.66bn from N23.3bn campaign funds 'shared' by ex-minister

According to the EFCC, four companies allegedly gave the following amount to the bank for use to bribe officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Northern Belt Gas Company Limited ($60m), Auctus Integrated($17,884,000), Midwestern Oil and Gas($9.5m), and Leno Laitan Adesanya ($1.85m).

The former minister stands the chance of losing all her assets in line with Section 26 and 29 of the EFCC Act on forfeiture.