Skip to main content

$20bn NNPC Fraud: EFCC Discovers Diezani's $37.5m Lagos Mansion


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has discovered a $37.5m (N11.75bn) luxury high-rise building on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, allegedly belonging to the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

This is just as the EFCC revealed on Friday that it discovered $9.3m and £74,000 belonging to a former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu. The money was allegedly kept in a bungalow situated in the slums of Kaduna.

The two discoveries were made as part of investigations into a string of fraudulent activities in the NNPC, which cost the nation over $20bn at a time the oil price stood at about $100 per barrel on the average

According to impeccable sources within the EFCC, the building allegedly belonging to Diezani was purchased between 2011 and 2012. It is situated in the same estate where Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, resides.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the building comprises 18 flats and six penthouses.

Properties on Banana Island are believed to be among the most expensive in Africa with a plot of land selling between $4m (N1.25bn) and $6m (N1.8bn), according to Forbes Magazine.

A source at the EFCC said, “The aggressive drive by the EFCC to recover all hidden assets of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is under investigation for corruption and money laundering, produced another breakthrough this week with the discovery of a property acquired through shell companies by the former minister at upscale Banana Island in Lagos.

“The property is a 15-storey edifice comprising 18 flats and six penthouses.

“The property was acquired by the former minister between 2011 and 2012 at a total cost of $37.5m from the developers, YF Construction Development and Real Estate.

The property was allegedly acquired in the name of a shell company, Rusimpex Limited under the control of certain Mr. Afamefuna Nwokedi of Stillwaters law firm, in Lagos.”

Last year, the commission seized an $18m mansion in the Asokoro area of Abuja allegedly belonging to the ex-minister.

She has, however, denied all the allegations levelled against her.

Meanwhile, the commission has recovered $9.7m and £74,000 from a former GMD of the NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu.

Ironically, Yakubu, who served as the head of the corporation between 2012 and 2014, is the key witness of the EFCC against the Chairman of Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, Jide Omokore, who is standing trial for an alleged $1.6bn fraud.

The EFCC said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, that the money was found in a safe hidden in a slum in Kaduna State.

The statement read in part, “A special operation conducted by operatives of the EFCC on February 3, 2017 on a building belonging to a former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Andrew Yakubu, in Kaduna yielded the recovery of a staggering sum of $9,772,800.

http://punchng.com/20bn-nnpc-fraud-efcc-discovers-diezanis-37-5m-lagos-mansion/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nigeria Army To Recruit 12,000 Soldiers - Buratai

Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai has disclosed that the Nigeria Army would recruit 12,000 men in 2017 to help fight insurgents and other uprisings across the country. Buratai was speaking during a budget defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on Army. According to him, the recruitment exercise would take place after the Army’s 2017 budget proposal of N152.8 billion is approved. He further revealed that the exercise would be in two batches with 6,000 men first and another 6,000 later. The army chief further explained that the Army was currently engaged in different operations in almost all the states of the federation, combating criminalities such as kidnapping, terrorism, pipeline vandalism, cattle rustling, among others. He complained that delay in release of funds was frustrating military operations nationwide, adding that the morale of troops must be boosted regularly. http://www.newshelm.com/2017/02/nigeria-army-to-recrui...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buhari’s Signature Forged To Sell $19m Crude Oil To China

President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature has been allegedly forged in order to sell $19 million worth of crude oil in China according to a House of Representatives member, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma Agbonayinma also accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of gross corruption while appearing on Channels TV. “In this letter here, this is not President Buhari’s signature but it was forged by our people – by Nigerians who wanted to sell the crude in China worth about $19 million,” he said. “I tell you the truth, the .Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is also aware. We are working day and night to also do what is needed to get it right because he (the AGF) is the custodian of the laws in the nation “So, I’m saying I must tell you that the corruption in this country didn’t just start yesterday. It is a cancer, and to cure cancer, you need a radical approach getting the radical approach in this case means you have to step on peoples’ toes, which might affect those ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Soldiers arrest suspected robbery kingpins in Abia

Soldiers of the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Abia State has arrested two suspected robbery kingpins who have allegedly been terrorizing motorists along Opobo – Azumini highway, in Ukwa East council area. It was gathered that the suspected robbery kingpin, Victor John and Nsikak Johnson, were nabbed by soldiers at a checkpoint along Azumini highway and handed over to Abia State Police Command. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who confirmed the handover of the suspects to the police, said, “The synergy of the Abia State Police Command with sister agencies paid off, when officers of the Nigerian Army, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, on checkpoint at Azumini Road in Ukwa East, arrested the suspects and handed over to the operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Section of the State Criminal and Intelligence Department. They confessed to the crime and effort is being intensified to arrest other members of their gang.”
Post a Comment
Read more