President Muhammadu Buhari has begun a full probe into the activities of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) set up a four-member panel of crack detectives to investigate all the NNPC accounts which were managed by the immediate past minister.
Punch reports that the committee was supervised by a superintendent of police, who was seconded to the commission.
Investigations disclosed that the other three members of the committee were pioneer civilian operatives of the commission with high capacity for investigation.
A top operative of the EFCC said: “It is not just about inviting her, the commission has set up a four-man team of crack detectives to investigate her operations in the NNPC.
“The terms of reference of the committee include to look into all the NNPC accounts which were under the supervision of Mrs. Alison-Madueke.
“The committee has since commenced work; they are still working. I think a very senior police officer, a Police Superintendent, is leading the other operatives in the probe of Diezani and multiple accounts of the NNPC.”
However, Wilson Uwujaren, the head of media and publicity of the EFCC had earlier said he was not aware if the commission had started an investigation into the allegation that $6.9m which was allegedly spent on campaign.
Uwujaren said: “I am not aware of such a probe; I have not been briefed on such a probe.”
The investigation of the previous administration by President Muhammadu Buhari is to investigate billions of naira allegedly squandered by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and some of his officials.
Besides these accusations, it will be recalled that a group, Crusader for Good Governance, had called on the EFCC to investigate the former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, for allegedly squandering millions of dollars of public funds to charter private jets.
There had been reports that Alison-Madueke is undergoing a new round of treatment for breast cancer, according to a family source knowledgeable about her condition.
However, some other sources supposed that Diezani with the help of the alleged illness trying to escape justice.
Former minister was seeking the audience with the president when she booked the same flight to London.