More troubles for Diezani as EFCC uncovers N23bn INEC bribe deal

There are fresh suspicions that a former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke may have been involved in a $115 million (N23.3 billion) bribery act in the heat of the 2015 general elections.

It was gathered that the money was shared to INEC officials in all the 36 states, some individuals, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), which deployed election monitors.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also picked up two bankers, who it said were privy to the deal and did not carry out due process.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Cross River State, Gesil Khan and four others are reportedly undergoing interrogation over the sum N681million they allegedly got from the bribe.

There are also signs that the commission has declared a manhunt for Diezani’s son, Ugonna Madueke who it says was privy to the deals and took active part in organizing and sharing the loot.

It was further gathered, that four companies were implicated in the 2015 election bribe scandal and are under probe. There are: Northern Belt Gas Company Limited; Auctus Integrated; Midwestern Oil and Gas; and Leno Laitan Adesanya.

Read also: Fresh probe uncovers another $12.9bn arms scam

Other suspects  and the alleged bribe amount against their names are:

Fidelia Omoile (Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)—N112,480,000

Uluochi Obi Brown (INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)—N111,500,000

A former Deputy Director  of INEC in Cross River State, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000

Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo—N214,127,000.

A source at the EFCC narrated, that “There was a time Diezani invited the MD of one of the bank and told him that the owners of the four companies will come and drop some money and the MD should keep the money separately and await instructions on what to do.

“The companies gave these amounts to the MD as follows: Northern Belt Gas Company Limited ($60m); Auctus Integrated ($17,884,000); Midwestern Oil and Gas ($9.5m); and Leno Laitan Adesanya ($1.85m).

“On her part, Diezani sent $25.77million (approximately $26m) to the MD with all the funds totaling $115million (N23, 299,705,000billion).

“A day or two before the presidential election, she gave a distribution list to the Bank MD and instructed that the $115million be changed into Naira and shared to INEC officials in the 36 states, some individuals and NGOs.

“The MD said there was no way the bank could meet up with the conversion of the $115million into Naira and distribute at the same time. Diezani pleaded with the MD to use the Naira in the bank’s vault. She said if the bank changed the dollars later, it could make Naira replacement. That was how the money was distributed to INEC officials in 36 states, some individuals and NGOs.

“The MD instructed the bank’s Head of Operations, to communicate with all Fidelity Bank branches to effect the distribution of the cash to alter the presidential election poll results.”

He continued, that “About N681million out of the funds was disbursed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross River State and four others.

“It is obvious that more Resident Electoral Commissioners and INEC officials will soon be invited for interrogation.”

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