Report gotten by
an online publisher SaharaReporters has
revealed the hide-out of the notorious (suspect) money launderer for former
President Goodluck Jonathan and Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Kola Aluko is holed up in this Swiss mansion in Ticino
Mr. Aluko’s
palatial home is nestled in the beautiful canton of Ticino, in southern
Switzerland. Ticino is renowned for its mild winters and boasts some of the
highest number of sunshine hours in Switzerland. 
In a week when UK
law enforcement authorities arrested Mrs. Alison-Madueke in London and agents
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) searched her homes in
Nigeria, Mr. Aluko was reportedly holed up in his Swiss mansion located at
Catonale 17, 6948 Porza in Tocina, according to a source familiar with his
whereabouts. Mr. Aluko is famous as one of the hitherto obscure individuals
dusted up by the former Petroleum Minister to be fronts for her shady billion
dollar schemes in the oil sector. A flamboyant man, Mr. Aluko relished his
meteoric rise to stupendous wealth, purchasing villas, expensive cars, and a
yacht, dating former supermodel Naomi Campbell, and partying with movie and
entertainment stars in the UK, Europe and the US. Kola Aluko's mansion in
Ticino.
They online publisher
was reported to have written several
reports about Mr. Aluko’s role as one of the launderers of billions of dollars
illicitly cornered by the embattled former Minister of Petroleum and former
President Jonathan.
An investigation
also from the publishing outfit disclosed a falling out between Mr. Aluko, on the one
hand, and Mrs. Alison-Madueke and Mr. Jonathan, on the other. The major
contention was centered on Mr. Aluko’s indiscreet and flashy lifestyle, which
triggered the former minister’s fears that his opulent acquisitions and taste
could attract unwanted attention.
According to
sources close to both parties, the relations between Mrs. Alison-Madueke and
her front soured badly after Mr. Aluko was seen in numerous photographs
accompanied by Ms. Naomi Campbell. They said Mr. Aluko stopped traveling to
Nigeria and absconded with a massive amount of looted money he was supposed to
launder for Mr. Jonathan and the former Petroleum Minister. Kola Aluko's Yacht
named "Galactica Star".
Intelligence documents
leaked to the Online medium also described Mr. Aluko as a “money launderer” and
“money manager,” for elite politicians in Nigeria—especially Mrs.
Alison-Madueke. The documents claimed that Mr. Aluko purchased several real
estate properties in Los Angeles and New York for as much as $23 million.
SaharaReporters has also learned that hip-hop power couple, Jay Z and Beyoncé,
spent a vacation on Mr. Aluko’s $50 million yacht.
Mr. Aluko’s Swiss
estate, known as Villa Rezzonico, is described by one Italian language
newspaper as having “an area of 1,400 square meters, dozens of rooms, and is
surrounded by a park of 4,700 square meters with a swimming pool, fitness area
and several oases for relaxation.” The paper described the villa as “one of the
most beautiful architectural relics of the early twentieth century or twentieth
century in Switzerland.” The newspaper identified Mr. Aluko as the new owner of
the mansion, adding that he carried out significant renovations and equipped
the property with a sophisticated security system.
As part of our
ongoing investigation into Mr. Aluko’s role as a money launderer, our
correspondent rang his home number, +41 91 940 27 14. An employee who answered
the call confirmed that Mr. Aluko lived at the house, but claimed he was “unavailable
to speak on the phone.” This employee told our correspondent that she would
pass the message to Mr. Aluko. However, he did not return our call at the time
of this publication.
Mr. Aluko’s
sudden wealth came from his ownership of Atlantic Energy, a shady firm that
received generous oil export contracts from the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) six months before it was legally established as a company.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke also recommended the award of at least five oil blocks to Atlantic
Energy.
SaharaReporters
has learned that Mr. Aluko also owns Tenka AG, a company based in Zug,
Switzerland that was formed in late 2012. Tenka AG is described as a food and
hospitality company and owns a capital of 500,000 Swiss francs.
Yesterday,
Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari hinted that the Swiss and the UK government
were collaborating with Nigeria to retrieve some of its stolen wealth and bring
perpetrators of financial crimes to justice. A Reuters news report confirms
that the Swiss Attorney General has confirmed requests by the Nigerian
government to arrest Mr. Aluko.
