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| Former Petroleum minister |
Immediate past
petroleum minister, Deizani Alison-Madueke, was on Friday arrested in London by
the United Kingdom National
Crime Agency.
Investigations
revealed that the UK Police picked up Allison-Maduekwe on Friday in relation
with offences bordering on fraud and bribery.
The Spokesman for
the UK High Commission in Abuja, Joe Abuku, confirmed to one of our
correspondents that five persons were arrested by the agency.
He, however, did
not disclose their identities.
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It was gathered
that the Seizure Organised Crime Agency within the National Crimes Agency of
the UK arrested Deziani and are probing the allegations against her.
It was further
learnt that Deziani was picked up by operatives of the SOCA at the instance of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which has been discretely probing
her.
The PUNCH
investigations revealed that the SOCA has a working agreement with the EFCC in
the area of investigation of allegations of financial crimes and proceeds of
such crimes.
A source said, “It
is true that the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani has been
arrested by the UK’s National Crimes Agency, not the Metropolitan Police.
“There is an
agency within the National Crimes Agency called the Seizures Organised Crimes
Agency. She was actually arrested by operatives of SOCA because the agency has
a working agreement with the EFCC. We have been cooperating with SOCA on a
number issues.
“I can tell you
that Deziani is being quizzed over allegations of bribery and fraud by the UK
police.”
Investigations
further revealed that the EFCC dispatched a team of crack investigators to the
residence of Allison-Maduekwe’s resident at Frederick Chiluba Avenue, Asokoro,
moments after the commission was alerted that the investigation had commenced
from the UK’s end.
It was further
gathered that the EFCC operatives were still ransacking her residence as of the
time of filing this report at 6.30pm.
A family relation,
who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest of
Allison-Maduekwe to our correspondent on Friday.
Our correspondent
could not get the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,
to comment on the issue as the repeated calls to his mobile telephone line indicated
that it was either switched off or in an area outside network coverage.
Source: Punch
Newspaper
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