There were strong indications yesterday that highly-priced jewelry valued at £28 million seized from the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, might be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The jewelry were impounded from the home of the former minister when operatives of the anti-graft agency raided her house in Abuja shortly after she lost her position. Diezani Alison-Madueke A top official of the EFCC confirmed to Vanguard in Abuja that the boxes containing the items were stored in a safe custody with some of the items still bearing their expensive price tags.
“Maybe we will soon invite Nigerians to come and see what one person acquired or collected as gifts while serving as minister,” the official said on Tuesday in Abuja.
“We have even brought in dealers and experts from the United Kingdom who have assessed the value of the gold and silver in the boxes we seized from the woman’s homes and they have ascertained that the value is not below £28 million,” the top official said. Responding to a question on the list of those who had looted the treasury, being bandied about by both the government and the opposition, the official said that the final list of looters would shock Nigerians.
“Nigerians have not seen even 10 percent of the looters yet; and when the list comes, it will shock Nigerians,” he said.