According to Nigeria’s justice ministry, about $53 million (£43 million) in alleged illicit cash that were retrieved from former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and others will be used to pay for public services.
The funds are being returned to Nigeria from the United States, where officials claim Alison Madueke enriched herself and others by granting contracts in exchange for bribes while she was in charge of Nigeria’s state oil company.
According to the US, the funds were subsequently utilized to purchase many opulent homes in California and New York as well as a 65-meter superyacht known as the Galactica Star.
The 64-year-old Alison-Madueke has always refuted all accusations of misconduct.
In the UK, where she was accused of bribery offenses two years ago, including giving Louis Vuitton gifts, her purported ill-gotten wealth is also being investigated.
