The United States and Nigeria signed an agreement on Friday to repatriate $52.88 million in assets forfeited by Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister, and her associates.
This agreement marks the first repatriation of assets outside Nigeria related to Alison-Madueke. Nigerian Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi confirmed that the funds are linked to the forfeiture of the Galactica assets, which were tied to Alison-Madueke and her associates.
The repatriation follows a civil complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department in 2017, seeking to recover $144 million in assets allegedly obtained through bribery. The lawsuit claimed that two Nigerian businessmen conspired with others to bribe Alison-Madueke, who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources and oversaw the state-owned oil company, NNPC Ltd.
Alison-Madueke, whose current location is unclear but was last reported to be in Britain, has denied any involvement in corruption. She served as oil minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015.
The repatriated funds will be used to support rural electrification projects in Nigeria. According to Fagbemi, $50 million will be allocated to increasing access to renewable energy, while the remaining $2.88 million will be granted to the International Institute for Justice to enhance counter-terrorism efforts across Africa.
In October 2022, a Nigerian court ordered the final seizure of two properties and cars owned by Alison-Madueke.
