What Diezani Alison-Madueke’s arrest means
Nigeria’s former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke was arrested in London on Friday, a source from Nigeria’s presidency circle and another with links to her family said.
Alison-Madueke who has been out of Nigeria since President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in reportedly, because of ill-health, was arrested with four other yet to be identified individuals.
Alison-Madueke played a prominent role in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The National Crime Agency said on its website only that its “recently formed global Corruption Unit has arrested five people across London as part of an investigation into suspected bribery and money laundering offences”. The National Crime Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offenses”.
A forensic audit was conducted by the Pricewaterhouse Coopers on behalf of the Federal Government on the operations of the NNPC after the allegation showed that the management of the corporation engaged in many questionable deals.
THISDAY learnt that the arrests were initiated by the EFCC based on its working relationship with the British NCA.
During her time in office, former central bank governor Lamido Sanusi was sacked after he raised concern that tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues had not been remitted to state coffers by the government-run oil company NNPC between January 2012 and July 2013.
Following her arrest, Alison-Madueke was taken to the Charing Cross Police station in London where she was booked, interrogated and later granted bail. Another source said the anti-graft agency would issue an official statement on the arrests “as soon as it is ready to do so”. “This British agency was formerly called formerly Serious Organised Crime Agency”.