The United States announced on Friday that it would return $52.88 million in seized assets to Nigeria, stemming from a lengthy corruption investigation into former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and her associates. The joint statement from Nigeria’s Minister of Justice and the U.S. government marked a significant milestone in the probe, which has targeted Alison-Madueke’s alleged corrupt activities.
This repatriation represents the first return of assets linked to Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and became the first female president of the oil alliance OPEC. She rose to prominence as a powerful figure during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration but faced accusations of looting millions of dollars in public funds.
The seized assets, which include a superyacht and prime real estate in New York and California, were confiscated in 2023 during Alison-Madueke’s ongoing trial. Of the $52.88 million returned, $50 million will be allocated to rural electrification programs in Nigeria, while the remaining $2.88 million will be used to fund counterterrorism and rule of law initiatives through the International Institute for Justice.
Although Alison-Madueke has consistently denied any wrongdoing, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has secured court orders to seize various assets, including houses, cars, and jewelry, which it claims were proceeds of corruption linked to the former minister.