EFCC Hunts Diezani’s Son over N23Bn

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is on the trail of Ugonna, son of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of Petroleum Resources, over his alleged roles in the disbursement of $115m to officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and election monitors in the build-up to last year presidential election.

Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, managing director, Fidelity Bank, was arrested last Wednesday by the anti- graft agency, together with other top officials of the bank, over the revelations that the bank was used to prosecute the lodgment and transfer of the fund, which at the time was put at N23 billion.

Ugonna would be instrumental to arresting persons involved in the case, an unnamed senior EFCC official told an online medium yesterday.

According to the report, EFCC officials had stated that Diezani’s son served as a middleman between his mother and the bank MD. “A senior official, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, ‘We have launched a manhunt for Ugonna, who the suspects said was the one who drew up a list of individuals, who should be given the N23bn ($115m).

‘We don’t know exactly where he is but we will get him. He needs to explain his role in the sharing of the money because the bank officials have been mentioning his name since they were brought in,’ the report said. The report stressed: “Ugonna is the Head of Business Development and Commercial Marketing at Radam Maritime Services Limited, a firm, which is headed by his father, Alison Madueke, a former Chief of naval Staff, who is also under investigation by the EFCC for alleged money laundering. “He is said to have business interests in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Ugonna , who is an engineer, came into limelight in 2012 when photos showing his ostentatious lifestyle went viral on the Internet.

“In one of such pictures, the graduate of University of Maryland College Park in the US, was seen flying in a private jet and later drinking champagne in a limousine. He has also been seen displaying wads of dollar notes on social media.”

Meanwhile, efforts to confirm the report from Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the EFCC, failed, as his phone number was unavailable, while a message sent to his phone was not replied as at the time of filing this report yesterday.

The allegation adds to sequence of gross corrupt practices allegedly orchestrated by the former minister, who was arguably the most powerful minister in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

A wristwatch worth 600,000 pounds was seized from the former minister’s house recently during a raid on her house by the anti-graft operatives.

Diezani has not been prosecuted over torrents of frauds she was alleged to have committed by Nigerian government, but she is standing trial in the UK where she was arrested late last year, and has had thousands of pounds confiscated from her by the UK government. She has been ill with cancer, and has been receiving treatment abroad.

Preparatory to the 2015 election, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, former Central Bank of Nigeria governor and now Emir of Kano, had raised alarm that $20 billion was missing from account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, headed by Diezani. Sanusi was fired, and was soon replaced by the incumbent governor.

She has however denied all allegations against her through her family lawyer, Oscar Onwudiwe.