UK Crime Agency Arrests Diezani Alison-Madueke, 4 Others

Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of Petroleum Resources, has been arrested by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA)

NCA leads UK law enforcement's fight to cut serious and organised crime and has national and international reach and the mandate and powers to work in partnership with other law enforcement organisations to bring the full weight of the law to bear on serious and organised criminals.

Diezani was arrested alongside four other people for bribery and corruption related offences which are currently being investigated by the Agency.

Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer, British High Commission in Nigeria, confirmed the arrest of some Nigerians by the UK agency.

“This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences. The crimes are being investigated by the National Crime Agency.

“The National Crime Agency does not confirm identity at arrest nor provide information that could be used to corroborate the identity of an arrested individual” he said.

The former minister recently discharged accusations made by Ajjampur R. Ghanashyam, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, to the result that, as minister, she “sat” on a $15 billion oil deal, defining it as false, groundless and libelous.