US government set to sieze Alison Madueke’s $144m assets

The US government has kicked off move to seize assets within its shores owned by former petroleum minister Alison Diezani-Madueke which were proceeds of shady contracts.

According to the report, the US government filed a suit to recover $144 million in assets through its justice department’s kleptocracy asset recovery initiative.

The suit filed on Friday, September 21 in Houston, Texas is going after assets acquired from contracts used to launder funds through the US.

The suit said cronies of the former oil minister of Nigeria acquired real estate worth millions for her in London and also bought her over $1 million worth of furniture and artwork in Houston.

“Corrupt foreign officials and business executives should make no mistake: if illicit funds are within the reach of the United States, we will seek to forfeit them and to return them to the victims from whom they were stolen,” Kenneth Blanco, acting assistant attorney general, said.

Former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, could face a jail term of between 12-15 years in prison if found guilty of fraud which reportedly occurred while she served as minister.

Disclosing this on Tuesday, July 18, the personal assistant to the president on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, said the former minister is also expected to name over 200 accomplice who connived, helped or participated in one of the biggest oil fraud Nigeria has ever had.

The presidential aide in a Facebook post titled, The Biggest Oil Industry Heist, Ever, cited a news report which stated that that Diezani is not prepared to go down alone as she is preparing to name all her accomplices.

Credit: Nigeria News