How We Recovered N68billion, 80 Houses Worth N36billion From Diezani – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has explained how it recovered $153 million (about N68.8 billion) from former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The embattled Diezani had relocated to the UK a few days to the end of the tenure of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in May 2015. All efforts to bring her to Nigeria to face trial have not yielded the desired result.

In the April edition of the EFCC magazine, EFCC Alert, the commission’s chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the anti-graft agency has also recovered 80 choice properties valued at $80 million (approximately N36 billion), from Diezani.

He was quoted as saying, “There are several cases surrounding Diezani’s case. I was part of that investigation, and we have done quite a lot. In one of the cases, we recovered $153 million; we have secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $80 million. We have done quite a bit on that.

“The other cases as it relates to the $115 million (about N52 billion) Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) bribery is also ongoing across the federation. We are looking forward to the time we will, maybe, have her in the country, and, of course, review things and see what will happen going forward. The case has certainly not been abandoned.’’

In 2020, the minister’s husband, Rear Admiral Alison Madueke said she lost her ability to speak and subsequently fell into a coma due to the complications of cancer.

He stated this in his published book titled, ‘Riding the Storms with God on My Side’.