Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, has rejected claims of ownership regarding the $52.8 million recently sent back to Nigeria from the United States.
In contrast to some reports, the ex-minister, who has been residing in the United Kingdom since her departure from Nigeria, clarified that the money is not hers.
In a statement titled “There is no such thing as Diezani Loot,” Alison-Madueke asserted that the funds in question actually belong to Nigerian oil magnate Kola Aluko.
Through her lawyer, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), she maintained that the concept of “Diezani Loot” is unfounded.
Alison-Madueke explained that the $52.8 million originated from a vessel that the American government seized from Aluko. That vessel was eventually sold, with the proceeds returned to the Nigerian government.
She labeled the reports linking her to the repatriated funds as false and claimed that those spreading this information are intent on damaging her reputation, stating that she had no involvement in the vessel’s acquisition, usage, or sale.
The statement included: “We are alarmed by the recent deliberate attempts to associate her with what has been characterized as the civil forfeiture of the yacht Galactica, which reportedly generated $52.8 million for the US government that has now been returned to Nigeria.
“This is a flagrant example of the malicious and cruel effort to undermine her reputation through a persistent mix of falsehoods and disinformation.
“The promoters of this narrative call it ‘name-and-shame.’ To lend credence to their claims, they have inappropriately attached Diezani’s name to a recovered yacht that has no connection to her.
“They misleadingly label it as ‘Diezani loot.’ Such an event never occurred, and she was never involved in the yacht’s purchase, use, or sale.
“According to publicly available information, the yacht Galactica was purchased by Mr. Kola Aluko, who utilized it until he agreed to its forfeiture to the United States.”
She concluded by advising those spreading defamatory and baseless information about her to reconsider their actions and cease their harassment.
