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Former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Denies Owning $52.8m Repatriated Funds, Names Real Owner

Published by Tope Fakinlede on January 20th, 2025.

Former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Denies Owning $52.8m Repatriated Funds, Names Real Owner

Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, has denied claims that she is the owner of the $52.8 million recently repatriated to Nigeria from the United States.

In a statement issued by her legal representative, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Alison-Madueke firmly rejected the accusations, asserting that the funds are not connected to her. She further clarified that the money actually belongs to Nigerian oil magnate, Kola Aluko.

The ex-minister, who has been residing in the United Kingdom since leaving Nigeria, stated that the money in question originated from a vessel seized by the U.S. government from Aluko. According to Alison-Madueke, the yacht was later sold, and the proceeds were returned to the Nigerian government.

Alison-Madueke expressed her frustration over the false claims linking her to the repatriated funds, accusing certain individuals of spreading misinformation to damage her reputation. She emphasized that she had no involvement in the acquisition, use, or sale of the vessel.

The statement reads in part: “We are deeply concerned by the ongoing and deliberate attempts to associate me with what has been described as the civil forfeiture of a yacht named Galactica, the sale of which purportedly generated $52.8 million for the U.S. government, now returned to Nigeria. This is a clear example of the ongoing campaign to smear my name with a series of consistent lies and false narratives.

“Some have labeled this a ‘name-and-shame’ campaign, attaching my name to a yacht that I have no connection to. The true owner of the yacht, as publicly known, is Mr. Kola Aluko, who used the vessel before agreeing to its forfeiture to the United States.”

Alison-Madueke concluded by advising those spreading unfounded accusations about her to focus on more constructive activities and cease their defamatory behavior.