The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday says it has discovered a fresh sum of $72.87 million allegedly linked to Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources.
The anti-graft agency said in a statement that the amount was discovered in a Fidelity Bank account.
It said a former managing director of the bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, has been arrested over the development.
The statement said: “Okonkwo, who is currently the Chairman of First Bank Holding, alongside others, had earlier been grilled over a sum of $153million and $115million by the Commission.
“While all the $153 million was recovered by the EFCC, the cases involving $115million, as it relates with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, bribery matter, are in various courts.
“Okonkwo and Charles Onyedibe are currently being detained by the EFCC over the whereabouts of the new $72.8m.”
Diezani who fled Nigeria in 2015, is alleged to have stolen $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government while she was minister, an allegation she denied.
However, the EFCC has since commenced a process to extradite her.
The Federal Government had gained forfeiture of Diezani’s properties, including a Banana Island Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, 18 flats and six penthouses.
Other items forfeited by the minister include 125 wedding gowns, 13 small gowns, 41 waist trainers, 73 hard flowers, 11 suits, 11 invisible bras, 73 veils, 30 braziers, two standing fans, 17 magic skirts, six blankets, one table blanket and 64 pairs of shoes.
