Exclusive… The oil barons arrested with Diezani

In from Olumide Olaoluwa …

Following her arrest and release on bail, British authorities kept people guessing when Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke would be charged to court, and the identities of those who were arrested with her.

However, Ripples has been able to sniff out the names of Mrs Alison-Madueke’s associates who were picked up along with her at her London home.

Ripples can exclusively and authoritatively report that flamboyant oil baron, Kola Aluko, was one of those arrested her.

One of them, it has been gathered, is Aluko, who has been alleged to be fronting for Diezani for years.

The 46-year-old indigene of Ogun State was director of Seven Energy from 2007-2011.

The indigenous Nigerian oil and gas exploration, development, production and distribution company is a leading firm under probe for complicity in the subsidy claims scam.

He runs the firm with Jide Omokore and Philips Ihenacho.

Aluko had in 1995 co-founded Besse Oil, a pioneering oil trading company.

Besse Oil became one of the first to obtain a credit line with major international banks, traded crude oil and fuel oil, as well as being a major importer of gasoline.

In 2011, he together with a team of Nigerian and international E&P executives co-founded Atlantic Energy in 2011, a private upstream oil and gas company, with an increased focus on under-developed producing fields in Nigeria.

In partnership with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Atlantic Energy focuses mainly on Niger Delta assets, contracted and executed under Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) with the NPDC.

Aluko was said to be with Diezani as at the time of the arrest.

Sources at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Aluko had been under surveillance for a long time and cooperated with investigators before the arrest.

It was alleged that Aluko had kept slush accounts on behalf of Diezani.

Impeccable sources revealed that another oil baron, Jide Omokore, was also arrested with Diezani.

Aside from being a business associate with Aluko, Omokore is also an ally of the former minister.

Omokore owns SPOG and Atlantic Energy.

SPOG’s office at Glover Street and Omokore’s residence on 9, Turnbull Street Ikoyi were raided last Friday by EFCC operatives, hours after he had been arrested in the UK, at about the same time Diezani’s Abuja residence was also raided by the anti-graft agency

Haruna Momoh, immediate Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) was suspected to have also been arrested by the NCA operatives.

Momoh, who keeps a home in Switzerland like Aluko, has been in trouble with the Independent Corrupt Practice and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged $700million loot while in the saddle of PPMC.

BBC reporter, Sam Piranty tweeted that he sighted Momoh entering the Charing Cross Police Station in London today.

The identity of the fourth accomplice remains shrouded in secrecy.

Sources at EFCC only hinted that “he is a big fish that will shock Nigerians when revealed.”

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Alison-Madueke was at Westminster magistrates court today.

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