An investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed that officials of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration are blocking an investigation into massive fraud committed by a Nigerian oil firm, Sahara Energy.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 26 raided the Lagos and Abuja headquarters of Sahara Energy. However, EFCC sources told our correspondent that officials of the government ordered the anti-corruption agency not to publicize the raid.

SaharaReporters learnt that EFCC agents seized computers from the firm, but interventions from high-level officials of the Buhari regime meant that the investigation has not advanced or see the light of the day.

Our sources named Mr. Buhari's Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, as a key ally of Sahara Energy, and the official behind attempts to scuttle the firm's billion dollar fraud.

The current chairman of the Petroleum Products ‎Pricing Regulatory Agency, Mohammed Buba, who was appointed on May 25 during the labor strike against fuel price increase, was a director at Sahara Energy.

Our sources said that Chief of Staff Kyari had since his appointment worked to shield Sahara Energy from any serious investigation.

Mr. Buba, who is from Borno State, is one of the Chief of Staff’s closest friends. He was a former MD of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

SaharaReporters learned that Mamman Daura, one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s closest friends, is also involved in efforts to cover up investigations into Sahara Energy.

An investigator disclosed that EFCC operatives found significant information regarding how former Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke used the firm to funnel funds to third parties. The source disclosed that the funds in question amounted to close to $400 million.

Sahara Energy is named as one of the firms that reaped hundreds of millions of dollars through crude oil swap deals introduced by Ms. Alison-Madueke during her ministerial tenure.

The former minister's offshore processing agreement with Sahara Energy also involved the owner of Aiteo, Benny Peters, Atlantic Energy, owned by Jide Omokore, and a fugitive oil dealer, Kola Aluko. Investigators believe that the firms made away with at least $4 billion of public funds through the opaque arrangements.

Much of the revelations against Sahara Energy has come from fraud suspects currently under investigation by the EFCC. One of our sources said the informants were amazed that Sahara Energy has so far been shielded from the kind of publicity and shame extended to much smaller players.

Last month, a company registered by Sahara Energy, Actus Integrated, was revealed as having given $60 million through Fidelity Bank to help former President Goodluck Jonathan rig himself into office during the 2015 presidential election.

One source told SaharaReporters that the company might have equally donated heavily towards President Buhari’s presidential campaign through his friend Maman Daura and Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/16/buhari-administration-officials-covering-investigation-against-fraud-sahara-energy

The Efcc should tell us when they want to do a holistic investigation on the sources of campaign funds in both apc and pdp.. Cos it shud nt be shrouded in secrecy.

only zombeis are decieved

.

good to have friends in high places

fowl yansh go soon open as this breeze dey blow so

No one to trust again in our government.
Thank God for sahara reporters, if nt, most of these things would have remained dark hidden secrets.
Sahara reporters are the best in investigative journalism.

mikolo80:
good to have friends in high places

there's nothing good abt this mr man. This is corruption itself. If things continue like this, then we have a long way to go in this nation.
It's a thief that protects nd cover up a thief.

mikolo80:
good to have friends in high places

You really mean this? Then you are all fraudsters both d APC government, President Daftus and sycophant supporters

You cannot be a politician and keep your hands 100 percent clean.. The game itself is a dirty one... So forget all these rubbish corruption fight.. The only thing happening is that corruption has changed hands, from one clique to another.

corruption: the beneficiaries are from all corners you can think of, while the defenders are from a specific areas depending on who is accusing who of being corrupt.

I dey come make I sidon look with my popcorn.... mama Uche give me 1 bottle of big coke.....
corruption fighting back ooooo How is now clean in Nigeria? PDP or APC??

.

And some people would try to paint some politicians as saints.

Hian. Every day we keep getting vindicated, Zombies will not like this

freeze001:


You really mean this? Then you are all fraudsters both d APC government, President Daftus and sycophant supporters

till 2032 baby

Oche211:

there's nothing good abt this man. This is corruption itself. If things continue like this, then we have a long way to go in this nation.

Oya vex change it na. We said they should probe pdp you said no, NYC may den De hammer de go na .Shebi una no want selective probing. Make selective kwarrupshin de go na

There is no doubt that corrupt elements in the govt are being shielded.
I started having the sense of some govt officials being shieded when the govt and pmb himself kept mute til today about the shady recruitments by d cbn governor.
Severally kyari and d ssg have been fingered in shady deals,yet nothing is done.U either fight corruption holistically or u appear mirred in its filth.
A lot is expected of pmb,but he is being rubbished by corrupt elements in his govt,appointed by him.He better wakes up and act fast or they become another dirty,monstrous cabal.

Out of curiosity, and merely as an academic exercise-
How would you suggest buhari goes about it?
Does he send the efcc after his own ministers and other appointees?
Does he look for a nuru?
I proffer that it's too late for him to act. Everyone's now entrenched and besides, they know where all his campaign secrets are buried.
It's easier to first refuse an appointment and later investigate allegations. Any attempt now would be met with unprecedented violence- because these people all have contingency plans, in case buhari turns on them, his kingmakers.
But that's just my take and I may be wrong.
So. What would you have him do now?

doctokwus:
There is no doubt that corrupt elements in the govt are being shielded.
I started having the sense of some govt officials being shieded when the govt and pmb himself kept mute til today about the shady recruitments by d cbn governor.
Severally kyari and d ssg have been fingered in shady deals,yet nothing is done.U either fight corruption holistically or u appear mirred in its filth.
A lot is expected of pmb,but he is being rubbished by corrupt elements in his govt,appointed by him.He better wakes up and act fast or they become another dirty,monstrous cabal.

Come and see wailers praising SaharaReporters. I thought you people said SR is owned by Tinubu

Nigeria. I hail thee. No body is a saint in this fight against corruption

This is the Sahara reporters I used to know.

Sahara Reporter leads in investigative journalism in present Nigeria, others are just hearsay junky papers.

Good one here. Bubu, left to yhu.

Saharareporters sha. They are getting back on track.

Oche211:

there's nothing good abt this man. This is corruption itself. If things continue like this, then we have a long way to go in this nation.

so you think buhari is a saint?

A different cartel is now on the looting spree

I am wondering why the Admin and Mods refuse to move this news to FP, someone created a thread for this news since a day before yesterday, they ignored the thread.

This is a litmus test of the President's anti-corruption war.