U.K. National Crime Agency refutes Diezani Alison-Madueke arrest in London,

 

A check at the agency’s website revealed no name of Alison-Madueke on its website. Instead on its International Corruption Unit arrests , the agency wrote as follows: “2nd October 2015The National Crime Agency’s recently formed International Corruption Unit has arrested five people across London as part of an investigation into suspected bribery and money laundering offences.”There is no mention of the arrest of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. When we put a call through to the agency, at their number 0370 496 7622, an unnamed officer said the agency could not furnish the names of the five individuals it said it had arrested and posted on its website. Pressed further as to whether these individuals were Nigerians, and whether they were arrested on the orders of the Nigerian presidency or the anti-corruption agency EFCC, the official said that he was not at liberty to disclose that information.Diezani Alison-Madueke was Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister until May 29, 2015, when General Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as Nigeria’s President, after defeating President Goodluck Jonathan. She was reportedly seeking medical treatment in London for an alleged cancer.

An accusation was made by Nigeria's central bank governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in February 2014. Mr Sanusi was sacked soon after, accused of financial recklessness himself.

But it was one of a number of corruption allegations that dogged the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, in whose administration Ms Alison-Madueke served.The National Crime Agency said on its website only that its "recently formed International Corruption Unit has arrested five people across London as part of an investigation into suspected bribery and money laundering offences".The identities and nationalities of these people were not disclosed, but family members of Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke confirmed that she had been arrested in London, Mansur Liman, editor of the BBC's Hausa Service, reports.Recently, new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to trace and recover what he called the "mindboggling" sums that have been stolen from the oil sector. He also promised to prosecute those responsible

 The voluntary surrender to the National Crimes Agency (NCA) by a Nigerian oil baron laid the foundation for a comprehensive investigation, and arrest of Diezani.The said oil baron, according to sources, was allegedly fronting for the ex-Minister and may be holding some looted funds in trust for her.It was learnt that following surveillance and monitoring by security agencies, the oil baron confided in a former Head of State who encouraged him to open up to the NCA on all such slush accounts.“The oil magnate voluntarily surrendered to NCA because he knew the game was up. He was not having peace where he was staying in the UK. But the former Head of State assisted in cracking this financial crime.”Mrs. Alison-Madueke and her alleged accomplices are expected to be arraigned in a London on Monday.The suspects were questioned for several hours by security agents in London. This came four months after Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Britain’s support for Buhari’s war against corruption.

 

Meanwhile in what looked like a coordinated action, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was also reported to have raided Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s Asokoro, Abuja home yesterday, ostensibly as part of the investigation.A source confided in The Guardian that her residence was being searched for evidence in connection with alleged corruption, bribery and money laundering offence for which the former minister was arrested by the UK agency.The source, while confirming that EFCC operatives were spotted in the building, added that the anti-graft agency has a close connection with the UK agency that arrested Mrs. Alison-Madueke in London.Efforts to obtain more information from the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, were unsuccessful, as his mobile phone was unreachable.EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, announced that the commission would go far and wide to bring corrupt officials to book.The commission had signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with 12 law enforcement agencies around the world.Lamorde also boasted that corrupt officials would be brought home to answer their cases, no matter how far they may travel.