Revealed: How Diezani, Kola Aluko & Jide Omokore Stole $1.6bn

Nigeria’s financial crimes watch dog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed that it is ready to testify against a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and oil barons, Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Punch learnt that evidence had been sent to the US Justice Department, as well as the UK’s National Crime Agency with a view to repatriating part of the $1.6bn allegedly stolen by Alison-Madueke, Aluko and Omokore.

Jide Omokore, Kola Aluko and four others are standing trial before a Federal High Court on nine counts of criminal diversion of about $1.6bn alleged to be proceeds of the sale of petroleum products belonging to Nigeria’s Federal Government.

According to the Newspaper’s source at the anti-graft agency, “We have sent evidence to the UK and the US on this case. The investigation involves many countries because these guys bought properties on different continents.

“We also update them as the case in court continues to unfold. We will be willing to testify if need be. This was how we assisted the UK in the James Ibori case. We will continue to work together.”

Kola Aluko has continued to elude both local and foreign authorities for over a year and was last seen in Porza-Lugano, Switzerland, in 2016 while Omokore is currently in Nigeria.

It was learnt that the anti-graft agency has been sending court testimonies to the US and the UK, as well as sworn affidavits deposed to by key witnesses against the three primary suspects.

The key witnesses are a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Andrew Yakubu; the Managing Director, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, Yusufu Matashi; as well as some officials of the EFCC.

Omokore and Aluko were accused of creating two shell companies in the British Virgin Islands — Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria and Atlantic Energy Brass Development — to handle their oil contracts.

Though the companies did not meet all the requirements set by the Bureau of Public Procurements, they were said to be given the contract through the influence of Alison-Madueke.

After failing to fulfil the terms of their deals, they were allowed to produce and sell about $1.6bn worth of crude oil. The duo then allegedly created additional shell companies to launder the proceeds through the US and the UK, giving kickbacks to Diezani.

Source- Punch