Funds ‘stolen’ by Diezani ‘can build six world-class airports’

The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) says the loot reportedly traced to Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, could build six world-class airports in the country.

In a statement issued on Thursday by Austin Braimoh and Cassidy Madueke, its chairman and secretary respectively, the group said the federal government could use part of the loot to build such airports in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

While condemning the “psychotic and mindless” looting allegedly carried out by Alison-Madueke, it said the funds said to be stolen by her forced the country’s economy into “instant depression”.

BMSG also said the funds were enough to have funded agricultural projects for the benefit of the Nigerian youth.

On the N47.2 billion and 487.5 million dollars in cash and property the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it traced to the former minister, the group said the monies are enough to complete the ongoing Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail lines projects.

It, however, said the loot so far reported to be linked to her is a “far cry from what she and others in the past governments pilfered from the national treasury”.

It, therefore, urged Nigerians to join hands with the current administration in the anti-graft war.

Tony Orilade and Aisha Gambari, officials of the public affairs directorate of the EFCC, recently revealed in an article a breakdown of investigations tracking Alison-Madueke’s alleged loot.

A federal high court in Lagos, earlier this week, ordered the permanent forfeiture of a $37.5m sky-scrapper belonging to the former minister.

The order was followed by another from the court ordering the interim forfeiture of N7,646,700,000 linked to her.