Jonathan’s camp in disarray over Diezani

In from Ali Smart … .
The arrest of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has left the camp of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in disarray, Ripples has learnt.
Ripples can authoritatively report that tension had been brewing in Jonathan’s camp following threats by Alison-Madueke to squeal.
It was gathered that the camp of the former President was caught unawares by Diezani’s arrest as nobody envisaged that she could be apprehended in London.
According to a highly placed source, Jonathan’s associates were convinced that the ex-President’s visit to President Muhammadu Buhari had created the opportunity for “mutual talks and negotiation” on alleged graft findings by the new administration.
“They did not know that Buhari really meant business to retrieve looted funds. Actually, some ex-ministers, including Diezani, have already placed their counsel in Nigeria on standby in case of any invitation by anti-graft agencies. Their plan was that the matter will be settled in Nigerian court.
“But the arrest of the ex-Minister in London has added a new dimension to the anti-corruption agenda of the Buhari administration.
“Those in Jonathan’s camp were shocked by Diezani’s arrest. They have been desperately trying to get in touch with the ex-Minister since yesterday without success.
“As at Saturday, they were worried that Diezani has cut off contacts with anyone, creating fears that she might spill more beans.
“The fear in Jonathan’s camp is that Diezani might be given the James Ibori’s treatment. They are suspecting that she might be tried and convicted in the UK,” the source said.
Meanwhile a close associate of Mrs Alison Madueke also revealed to Ripples that she intentionally went to sojourn in London because she preferred to face any form of trial there, than in Nigeria.
He said that the former minster envisioned and knew that the Buhari government would come after her, because of the position she held in the last administration, and that she planned for any arrest to be done in London, instead of Nigeria, where she felt she would be messed up for political reasons.
According to the source, “she had it all planned out. She knows that if the government picks her up in Nigeria they would play politics with her case, and mess her up. That was why she specifically went to London”.

Read also: Diezani Alison-Madueke arrested in London

On the raid on Alison-Madueke’s Abuja residence, the source said, “They will not find anything she did not want them to find. She left those documents there for them to find”.
Findings also revealed that the British National Crime Agency has dispatched a team of detectives to Nigeria who are now working with the operatives of the EFCC to probe Alison-Madueke’s tenure as Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister.
There were also indications, that investigators from the UK Police drawn from the Seizures Organised Crimes Agency (SOCA) had been involved in a discreet investigation of Alison-Madueke for two months before they finally moved against her.
The British National Crime Agency (NCA) in an update on its website, noted that the investigation into Alison Madueke’s activities started about two years ago.
“The investigation commenced in 2013 under the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, and transferred to the NCA earlier this year (2015). The International Corruption Unit investigates bribery of foreign public officials by individuals or companies from the UK and money laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates,” it stated.

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