Why Deziani Madueke is in Love with Kola Aluko
The relationship between Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister for Petroleum under the government of President Goodluck Jonathan and Kolawole Akanni Aluko was very cordial. Their closeness was beyond the fact that both of them are into oil and gas business.
Diezani and Aluko are said to be secret lovers, and they allegedly take some substances together. A source close to the duo told this magazine that the major reason Diezani doesn’t joke with Aluko is the fact that he is one guy who usually leaves no stone unturned to satisfy her on bed.
Little wonder Diezani gave Aluko and his friend, Jide Omokore excessive freedom to milk the Nigerian oil and gas sector dry. The three parties have subsequently been facing legal battles for their alleged fraudulent activities.
Aluko and Omokore were charged in Lagos for laundering the $1.7 billion off the questionable oil swap transactions between them and the NNPC, during the tenure of Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Some of the money laundered through the United States and which had been used to acquire assets are now the subject of a forfeiture bid by the United States Justice Department. But the filings in a Lagos court have provided the most insightful details yet into how the entire money was laundered, while the Nigerian treasury was left dry and emasculated.
According to an affidavit sworn at the Federal High Court by Isaac Kehinde Oginni, a lawyer in the Federal Ministry of Justice, both Aluko and Omokore lifted and sold allotted Nigeria’s crude oil. 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. They bought vehicles with a combined value of over N800million and donated them to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through its then National chairman Prince Secondus.
They also bought vehicles valued at over N130million and gave them as gifts to former minister of Petroleum, Mrs Dieziani Alison-Madueke and some other management staff of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). Kolawole Aluko was said to have 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. The block was bought 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 financing the acquisition and renovation of properties by the Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited (AEDC) and Atlantic Energy Brass Development limited (AEBD). The Properties are: Mason apartments at 6 Gerrard Road Ikoyi Lagos comprising 60 units of 3 bedrooms apartment valued at $78,000,000, Marion apartments Block 8 located at 4&5, Onikoyi Estate, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos consisting of 43 units of apartments valued at $76,160,000, apartments at 33A Cooper Road Ikoyi, Lagos renovated at a total cost of $4,937,750, Admiralty Towers at 8 Gerrard Road Ikoyi, Lagos., which was also renovated.
The two businessmen also transferred $69,912,981.15 to the following companies; Mia Hotels Limited, First Motors Limited, V.I.Petrochemicals, Evergreen Reality &Management, WIz Trade limited, DE First Union Integrated Services and Amity Plus limited.
Apart from Aluko and Omokore’s application, a limited liability company Virtual Properties and Investment Limited, has also filed another application as an intervener. The company is urging the court to discharge or vary its order, as it relates to Marion Apartments, on the ground that the property located at Block 8 Plots 4&5 Onikoyi Estate, Banana Island, Ikoyi consists of 56 apartments owned and developed by the intervener.
