Nigeria’s former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was arrested in London on Friday, has been granted bail.
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When asked to confirm if the arrest and invasion by the EFCC were based on the request of the Nigerian Government, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said: “No comment for now”.
Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer, said, “This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences”.
Reports say the operations are being coordinated with several global agencies because of the “sensitive” nature of the investigation.
EFCC agents arrived Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s palatial home, located in the Asokoro district of Abuja, and sealed the property Friday evening.
Following her arrest, Alison-Madueke was taken to the Charing Cross Police station in London where she was booked, interrogated and later granted bail.
The arrests were “part of an investigation into suspected bribery and money-laundering offences”, it added.
The identities of the four other people arrested along with her could not be immediately ascertained. Daily Trust also learnt that her house in Abuja was raided yesterday by security operatives.
All efforts to get official confirmation from the EFCC last night on the arrests in London proved abortive.
President Buhari had on Monday in New York urged world leaders heading countries where proceeds of corruption were being stashed to do more in returning the stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.
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On Sunday, Buhari stated the prosecution of these suspected of misappropriating the NNPC’s income underneath previous administrations would start quickly.
