EFCC recovers new $72.87m linked to Diezani, re-arrests ex-MD Okonkwo

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has uncovered an additional $72, 870,000 million linked to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Top Naija reports.

The sum was said to have been discovered in an account domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc.

Consequently, a former Managing Director of the bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, has been arrested.

Okonkwo, who is currently the Chairman of First Bank Holding, alongside others, had earlier been grilled over a sum of $153million and $115million by the Commission.

While all the $153 million was recovered by the EFCC, the cases involving $115million, as it relates with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, bribery matter, are in various courts.

Okonkwo and Charles Onyedibe are currently being detained by the EFCC over the whereabouts of the new $72.8m.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed these in a statement on Wednesday, titled, ‘Diezani: EFCC uncovers additional $72.87m in Fidelity Bank.’

It reads, “Okonkwo, who is currently the Chairman of First Bank Holding, alongside others, had earlier been grilled over a sum of $153m and $115m by the commission.

“Okonkwo and Charles Onyedibe are currently being detained by the EFCC over the whereabouts of the new $72.87m.”

In 2017, the US Justice Department’s kleptocracy team seized $145 million worth of assets that had been purchased “for the benefit of” Ms. Alison-Madueke. Among the assets were a $50 million apartment in New York, properties in California, and an $80 million yacht; Galactica Star.

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.