BREAKING: Diezani Disclaims Ownership of repatriated $52.8M, names true owner

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has refuted claims linking her to the recently repatriated $52.8 million from the United States to Nigeria. Contrary to widespread reports, Alison-Madueke clarified that the funds do not belong to her but are instead connected to Nigerian oil magnate Kola Aluko.

In a statement titled “There is No Such Thing as Diezani Loot” and issued through her counsel, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the former minister dismissed the allegations as baseless and part of a persistent campaign to tarnish her image.

“We note with concern the recent deliberate attempt to link her with what has been described as a civil forfeiture of a yacht, Galactica, the sale of which was said to have yielded $52.8 million to the U.S. government; which sum has since been repatriated to Nigeria,” the statement read.

Alison-Madueke explained that the funds originated from the sale of a vessel owned by Kola Aluko, which had been seized by the U.S. government. She emphasized that she had no involvement in the purchase, use, or forfeiture of the yacht.

“This is a clear example of the mischievous and cruel sport of tarnishing her image through a consistent and persistent cocktail of falsehoods and misinformation,” the statement continued.

Diezani Alison-Madueke revealed that the yacht, Galactica, was publicly known to have been owned by Aluko, who used it until it was forfeited to the U.S. authorities. She described the narrative linking her to the funds as “false and defamatory,” accusing its purveyors of deliberately misleading the public.

“The yacht Galactica, from information readily available in the public domain and open sources, was purchased by Mr. Kola Aluko, who had used the vessel until he agreed to its forfeiture to the United States of America,” the statement clarified.

Alison-Madueke urged individuals spreading unsubstantiated claims to desist from further defamation and to focus their energies on more productive activities. “The purveyors of this line of misinformation term it ‘name-and-shame.’ To sell the storyline, the architects ensured they attached Diezani’s name to a recovered yacht which is not in any way linked to her. They now falsely termed it ‘Diezani loot.’ Nothing of the sort ever happened.”

The former minister concluded by calling for an end to the attacks on her reputation, describing them as part of a broader agenda to vilify her.

The $52.8 million was recovered by the U.S. government through the sale of assets linked to Aluko, a Nigerian businessman implicated in money laundering and financial crimes. The funds were recently repatriated to Nigeria as part of ongoing efforts to recover stolen public assets.

While Alison-Madueke has faced numerous allegations of corruption during her tenure as petroleum minister, this clarification aims to separate her from the latest claims surrounding the repatriated funds.