By Jerry Uwah Lagos
An affi davit fi le at a Federal High Court in Lagos by a lawyer from the Federal Ministry of Justice has shown how oil businessmen, Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Jide Omokore, diverted into their pockets the sum of $1.7 billion from questionable oil swap transactions between them and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), during the tenure of Diezani Alison-Madueke. Th e US Department of Justice has initiated law suits that would lead to the forfeiture of a luxury yatch valued at $80 million and a luxury apartment in high brow Manhatan, New York, allegedly acquired by Aluko from the proceeds of crime. However, the affi davit from the Federal Ministry of Justice provided the most insightful details into how the entire crime was committed by the two businessmen in collaboration with Mrs. Alison-Madueke.
Th e affi davit sworn at the Federal High Court by Isaac Kehinde Oginni, a lawyer in the Federal Ministry of Justice, showed that both Aluko and Omokore lifted and sold crude oil allotted to the federal government. While they were paid for their service, they deliberately diverted to private use, what was due to the federal government and the people of Nigeria, in the sum of $1,762,338,184.40. “Th ey bought vehicles with a combined value of over N800 million and donated them to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its then National chairman, Prince Secondus. “Th ey also bought vehicles valued at over N130million and donated them to former minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Dieziani Alison-Madueke and some other management staff of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). “Kolawole Aluko paid $18,548,619.99 and N1, 070,000,000 to FBN Mortgages Limited as part payment for block A consisting of 26 Flats at 46 Gerrard Road Ikoyi Lagos. Th e block wasbought for a total cost of N5,210,520,315.. “Payment of a total sum of $25,839,606.77and N95,000,000 was made to Real Bank for the purpose of part fi nancing the acquisition and renovation of properties by the Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited (AEDC) and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited (AEBD).
