$50billion Fraud: How Sahara Energy Bribed Buhari's Man To Block EFCC Probe
After Paying bribes running into Millions of Dollars, Sahara Energy, a
beneficiary of over $120million fraudulent oil swap deal under Diezani
Allison Madueke, is being shielded from prosecution under the orders of
Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Mohammadu Buhari,
Pointblanknews.com investigation has revealed.
Pointblanknews.com had in October 2015 exclusively reported how oil
marketers including Sahara Energy and others defrauded Nigeria of over
$50billion in oil swap deals under the former President Goodluck
Jonathan's administration.
Angered over Pointblanknews.com report, Sahara Energy had approached a
Lagos High Court, claiming libel.
EFCC, in May 2016 swooped on Sahara Energy and commenced investigations
into it several fraudulent dealings under the cover of Mrs. Madueke.
However, the outcome of the EFCC probe carried out in May 2016, was not to
see the light of the day as top management of Sahara Energy, sensing the
damage it faces, swiftly approached Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to
President Mohammadu Buhari, offered millions of Dollars to have EFCC probe
blocked or findings about frauds associated to the company swept under the
carpet, according to a source close to the Presidency.
Pointblanknews.com had reported that Sahara Energy and others were being
investigated for over N50Billion oil fraud. Sahara Energy allegedly
defrauded Nigeria to the tune of $120million.
Others who allegedly defrauded Nigeria and were facing investigations are:
Transfigura: $80million, Ontario: $135million, Aiteo $150million, and
Ocean Marines, PPP Fluid Mechanics.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Sahara Energy was one of the
companies used by former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Madueke, to defraud
Nigeria of over $50billion from the oil sector during her reign.
“Sahara Energy and its owners are Dieziani people. She had lots of
dealings with them. They benefitted so much from not just the oil swap but
several other oil deals and there is no how Dieziani would be under
investigation and you leave out Sahara Energy,” a source who is familiar
with the situation told Pointblanknews.com.
Another source confirmed to Pointblanknews.com that while Sahara Energy
was busy funding the former President Goodluck Jonathan's campaign, they
were also funding the President Mohammadu Buhari's campaign through the
President's proxies.
A source who was part of the Buhari's campaign told Pointblanknews.com
that Mr. Kyari was one of those who received undisclosed Millions of
Dollars from Sahara Energy on behalf of Buhari, then APC Presidential
candidate.
After the elections, the relationship between Sahara Energy and the Chief
of Staff flourished. Sources told Pointblanknews.com that owners of Sahara
Energy: Tope Shonubi, Tonye Cole and Ade Odunsi boasted to friends that
the company would not be touched because of their relationship with Mr.
Kyari and Mohammed Buba, the current Chairman of the Petroleum Product
Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA.
Buba was a Director in Sahara Energy before his appointments into
Government agencies.
Sahara Reporters had last week exclusively reported that:
“An investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed that officials of
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration are blocking an investigation
into massive fraud committed by a Nigerian oil firm, Sahara Energy.
“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May
26 raided the Lagos and Abuja headquarters of Sahara Energy. However, EFCC
sources told our correspondent that officials of the government ordered
the anti-corruption agency not to publicize the raid.
“SaharaReporters learnt that EFCC agents seized computers from the firm,
but interventions from high-level officials of the Buhari regime meant
that the investigation has not advanced or see the light of the day.
“Our sources named Mr. Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, as a key ally
of Sahara Energy, and the official behind attempts to scuttle the firm’s
billion dollar fraud.
“The current chairman of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory
Agency, Mohammed Buba, who was appointed on May 25 during the labor strike
against fuel price increase, was a director at Sahara Energy.
“Our sources said that Chief of Staff Kyari had since his appointment
worked to shield Sahara Energy from any serious investigation.
“Mr. Buba, who is from Borno State, is one of the Chief of Staff's
closest friends. He was a former MD of Pipelines and Product Marketing
Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC).
“SaharaReporters learned that Mamman Daura, one of President Muhammadu
Buhari's closest friends, is also involved in efforts to cover up
investigations into Sahara Energy.
“An investigator disclosed that EFCC operatives found significant
information regarding how former Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke used
the firm to funnel funds to third parties. The source disclosed that the
funds in question amounted to close to $400 million.
“Sahara Energy is named as one of the firms that reaped hundreds of
millions of dollars through crude oil swap deals introduced by Ms.
Alison-Madueke during her ministerial tenure.
“The former minister’s offshore processing agreement with Sahara Energy
also involved the owner of Aiteo, Benny Peters, Atlantic Energy, owned by
Jide Omokore, and a fugitive oil dealer, Kola Aluko. Investigators believe
that the firms made away with at least $4 billion of public funds through
the opaque arrangements.
“Much of the revelations against Sahara Energy has come from fraud
suspects currently under investigation by the EFCC. One of our sources
said the informants were amazed that Sahara Energy has so far been
shielded from the kind of publicity and shame extended to much smaller
players.
“Last month, a company registered by Sahara Energy, Actus Integrated, was
revealed as having given $60 million through Fidelity Bank to help former
President Goodluck Jonathan rig himself into office during the 2015
presidential election.
“One source told SaharaReporters that the company might have equally
donated heavily towards President Buhari's presidential campaign through
his friend Maman Daura and Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.”
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