Nigeria and the United States governments on Friday signed an agreement to repatriate about $52.88 million in assets forfeited by former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and her associates.
The agreement opens the way for the first repatriation to Nigeria of assets outside the West African country linked to Alison-Madueke.
Nigerian Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi said the agreement with the U.S. enables “the repatriation of approximately $52.88 million arising from the forfeiture of the Galactica assets, linked to the former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and her associates.”
The agreement follows a 2017 civil complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department aimed at recovering about $144 million in assets allegedly obtained through bribes to the former minister.
The lawsuit alleged that two Nigerian businessmen conspired with others to pay bribes to Alison-Madueke, who oversaw the country’s oil firm NNPC Ltd.
Alison-Madueke, whose whereabouts are unclear but was last known to be in Britain, has previously denied corruption charges against her.
She was a minister under former president Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 until May 2015.
The funds will be used to support rural electrification projects through the World Bank, with $50 million allocated to increasing access to renewable energy, Fagbemi said.
The remaining $2.88 million will be disbursed as a grant by Nigeria to the International Institute for Justice to support counter-terrorism capacity across Africa, he said.
In Oct. 2022 a Nigerian court ordered a final seizure of two properties and cars owned by Alison-Madueke.
