Diezani’s ₦450m: EFCC re-arraigns ex-minister, 4 others six years after

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, re-arraigned a former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Abdu Bulama, before Justice Fadima Aminu of the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, on seven counts of criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of ₦450 million.

Bulama was re-arraigned alongside a former Commissioner for Integrated and Rural Development in Yobe State, Mohammed Kadai, Abba Tata, Muhammad Mamu and Hassan Ibn Jaks.

The ex-minister allegedly received the said sum from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison- Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election as the coordinator of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign committee in Yobe State.

Kadai was deputy coordinator, while the other three defendants were members of the committee.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday, by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, titled, ‘N450m fraud: EFCC re-arraigns ex-minister, Bulama, four others in Yobe.’

The defendants were said to have pleaded not guilty to the charges and the prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ahmed, asked for a trial date.

He also prayed the court to remand the defendants in a correctional centre pending the determination of the case.

The lead counsel for the defendants, E. Adenitan, informed the court that applications for bail had been filed and served on the court and the prosecution.

“Justice Aminu, after listening to both parties, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N50m each with two sureties in the sum of N25m each,” the statement added.

As part of the Pandora Papers leak in 2021, Alison-Madueke was accused of accepting $17 million in gifts and property from three Nigerian oil businessmen in exchange for favors as part of her role as Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering.