Jarrett Tenebe, a Peoples democratic Party gubernatorial
candidate and a politically well-connected oil thief arrested by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
reportedly shocked investigators by revealing that he received
cover from several senior government officials and top politicians,
including Mike Oghiadomhe, a former Chief of Staff to President
Goodluck Jonathan, Tony Anenih, chair of the board of trustees of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Petroleum Minister, Diezani
Alison Madueke. The EFCC was still holding Mr. Tenebe today after arresting him last
week for alleged theft of massive amounts of crude oil.
An EFCC source disclosed that Mr. Tenebe, who hails from Edo State,
told investigators that his powerful political patrons and protectors
enabled him to carry out lucrative crude oil theft from Nigeria under
the guise of evacuating stolen crude on behalf of the federal
government. Among the political patrons are Ms. Alison-Madueke, Mr.
Oghiadomhe, Mr. Anenih, a close confidant of President Jonathan, and
James Jephthah.
The stolen crude oil was reportedly sold in Ghana.
The suspect came under renewed scrutiny after US investigators
informed Nigeria’s law enforcement authorities that several vessels
linked to Mr. Tenebe’s Fenix Impex Nigeria Limited were involved in
the ferrying of stolen crude from Nigeria to Ghana via the Saltpond oil
platform in the West African country.
Our EFCC source disclosed that the anti-corruption agency was able to
arrest Mr. Tenebe only because US investigators were involved. The
source added that, since the suspect’s arrest last week, the EFCC had
been under intense pressure from several quarters to muddle up the
case in order to spring the suspect free.
Our sources revealed that this is the second time Mr. Tenebe and his
main collaborator have been in trouble this year. Earlier this year, the
suspect and Peter Omoh Dunia (aka Peter Black), a close political
associate of Tony Anenih in Edo state, were also arrested, but they
were able to pull political strings that ensured their release without
prosecution.
In March 2014, Nigerian soldiers, who were under the command of
Brigadier General Azinta, had arrested Mr. Tenebe and Mr. Dunia. The
two men’s arrest came after soldiers found fraudulent crude oil
evacuation contracts in their possession. One Rear Admiral Austin
Oyagha of the Nigerian Navy reportedly signed the evacuation
documents on behalf of the Nigerian navy.
Following their arrest by the soldiers in Benin City, Mr. Tenebe and Mr.
Dunia were caught red handed when they tried to bribe Brigadier
General Azinta, the brigade commander of the Nigerian Army in Benin.
Both men were in possession of $65,000, which was meant to bribe
General Azinta.
Our EFCC source disclosed that the brigade commander reportedly
played along with his would-be bribers for some days before
arranging their arrest. The army officer handed over the bribe money to
investigators as evidence against the two suspects.
However, the brigade commander was told that the suspects would be
moved to Bayelsa State and handed over to the Joint Task Force (JTF).
The move was part of a design to ensure their smooth release without
prosecution. One of our sources told SaharaReporters that James
Jephthah (aka Octopus), a very close friend of President Goodluck
Jonathan, used his access to Aso Rock to obtain approval for the
transfer of the case to Bayelsa where he eventually influenced the JTF
to release Mr. Tenebe.
The EFCC officially declined to comment on the ongoing investigation
of the Saltpond scam. However, a top official of the agency disclosed
that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, had
ordered the agency not to take any action until her return to Abuja. Ms.
Alison-Madueke is currently on a short vacation in the UK while
awaiting the completion of the multi-million dollar renovation of her
Abuja mansion.
A source at the EFCC told SaharaReporters that Mr. Tenebe’s political
contacts had helped him to get appointed as an agent who sells crude
oil seized from illegal marketers. The source added, however, that Mr.
Tenebe’s politically powerful sponsors also arranged for the suspect to
lift additional hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil, which he sold at
great profit to different European oil dealers using Ghana as the point
of sale.
candidate and a politically well-connected oil thief arrested by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
reportedly shocked investigators by revealing that he received
cover from several senior government officials and top politicians,
including Mike Oghiadomhe, a former Chief of Staff to President
Goodluck Jonathan, Tony Anenih, chair of the board of trustees of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Petroleum Minister, Diezani
Alison Madueke. The EFCC was still holding Mr. Tenebe today after arresting him last
week for alleged theft of massive amounts of crude oil.
An EFCC source disclosed that Mr. Tenebe, who hails from Edo State,
told investigators that his powerful political patrons and protectors
enabled him to carry out lucrative crude oil theft from Nigeria under
the guise of evacuating stolen crude on behalf of the federal
government. Among the political patrons are Ms. Alison-Madueke, Mr.
Oghiadomhe, Mr. Anenih, a close confidant of President Jonathan, and
James Jephthah.
The stolen crude oil was reportedly sold in Ghana.
The suspect came under renewed scrutiny after US investigators
informed Nigeria’s law enforcement authorities that several vessels
linked to Mr. Tenebe’s Fenix Impex Nigeria Limited were involved in
the ferrying of stolen crude from Nigeria to Ghana via the Saltpond oil
platform in the West African country.
Our EFCC source disclosed that the anti-corruption agency was able to
arrest Mr. Tenebe only because US investigators were involved. The
source added that, since the suspect’s arrest last week, the EFCC had
been under intense pressure from several quarters to muddle up the
case in order to spring the suspect free.
Our sources revealed that this is the second time Mr. Tenebe and his
main collaborator have been in trouble this year. Earlier this year, the
suspect and Peter Omoh Dunia (aka Peter Black), a close political
associate of Tony Anenih in Edo state, were also arrested, but they
were able to pull political strings that ensured their release without
prosecution.
In March 2014, Nigerian soldiers, who were under the command of
Brigadier General Azinta, had arrested Mr. Tenebe and Mr. Dunia. The
two men’s arrest came after soldiers found fraudulent crude oil
evacuation contracts in their possession. One Rear Admiral Austin
Oyagha of the Nigerian Navy reportedly signed the evacuation
documents on behalf of the Nigerian navy.
Following their arrest by the soldiers in Benin City, Mr. Tenebe and Mr.
Dunia were caught red handed when they tried to bribe Brigadier
General Azinta, the brigade commander of the Nigerian Army in Benin.
Both men were in possession of $65,000, which was meant to bribe
General Azinta.
Our EFCC source disclosed that the brigade commander reportedly
played along with his would-be bribers for some days before
arranging their arrest. The army officer handed over the bribe money to
investigators as evidence against the two suspects.
However, the brigade commander was told that the suspects would be
moved to Bayelsa State and handed over to the Joint Task Force (JTF).
The move was part of a design to ensure their smooth release without
prosecution. One of our sources told SaharaReporters that James
Jephthah (aka Octopus), a very close friend of President Goodluck
Jonathan, used his access to Aso Rock to obtain approval for the
transfer of the case to Bayelsa where he eventually influenced the JTF
to release Mr. Tenebe.
The EFCC officially declined to comment on the ongoing investigation
of the Saltpond scam. However, a top official of the agency disclosed
that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, had
ordered the agency not to take any action until her return to Abuja. Ms.
Alison-Madueke is currently on a short vacation in the UK while
awaiting the completion of the multi-million dollar renovation of her
Abuja mansion.
A source at the EFCC told SaharaReporters that Mr. Tenebe’s political
contacts had helped him to get appointed as an agent who sells crude
oil seized from illegal marketers. The source added, however, that Mr.
Tenebe’s politically powerful sponsors also arranged for the suspect to
lift additional hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil, which he sold at
great profit to different European oil dealers using Ghana as the point
of sale.
No comments:
Post a Comment