Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing corruption probe involving former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, with court documents from the U.S. Justice Department revealing billionaire oil magnate Igho Sanomi as a key figure in the alleged $1.7 billion oil-related fraud.
According to filings in a Houston court, Sanomi, who owns Taleveras Oil Group, was linked to large financial transactions involving Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, two businessmen at the center of the U.S. corruption case against Alison-Madueke.
Taleveras and the Flow of Funds
Investigations revealed that Taleveras, along with global oil traders Glencore and Arcadia, deposited $1.2 billion into Kola Aluko’s Swiss bank account, payments tied to crude oil lifted from companies owned by Aluko and Omokore. The U.S. Justice Department alleges that this money was used to finance Diezani Alison-Madueke’s lavish lifestyle, including luxury homes, jewelry, and private jets.
However, Taleveras has denied any wrongdoing, stating in an official release that its transactions followed best international practices as a third-party contractor.
“This legal case is not against Taleveras or Igho Sanomi,” the company said in a statement.
“Taleveras and other oil trading houses (Glencore and Arcadia) were not faulted for engaging in legitimate transactions. All payments were made based on contracts with private companies, not the NNPC.”
The Diezani Connection: How the Scheme Worked
Between 2010 and 2015, as petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke allegedly used her influence to award lucrative oil contracts to her associates, Aluko and Omokore, through their firms Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts (AEDC) Ltd. and Atlantic Energy Brass Development (AEBD) Ltd.
These firms secured eight oil mining leases (OMLs) from the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC, under Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs). Despite their lack of financial and technical capacity, Aluko and Omokore were awarded these lucrative contracts, which they then used to sell crude allocations to third-party oil traders, including Taleveras.
Instead of fulfilling their contractual obligations under the SAAs, U.S. prosecutors allege that the duo diverted profits from oil sales to bribe Diezani and finance a luxurious lifestyle.
Taleveras’ Payments to Kola Aluko’s Swiss Accounts
Court records show that Taleveras Group and its affiliates, including Taleveras Trading Limited and Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV, made multiple payments into Aluko’s Swiss bank accounts shortly after the SAAs were signed.
Between July 2011 and January 2012, the following transactions were recorded:
•July 12, 2011 – Taleveras transferred $1.5 million to Kola Aluko’s LGT Bank (Schweiz) AG account.
•July 14, 2011 – An additional $1 million arrived from RFB Lengard JVA, a company in which Igho Sanomi holds a 30% stake.
•July 20, 2011 – Taleveras Trading Limited wired another $1 million to Aluko.
•August 15, 2011 – Taleveras made two payments: $1 million and $650,000.
•September 12, 2011 – Taleveras Trading Limited transferred $1 million.
•September 16, 2011 – Taleveras sent $1.6 million to Aluko.
•October 5, 2011 – Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV credited Aluko’s account with $1.5 million.
•October 11, 2011 – Another $500,000 was wired by Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV.
•November 14, 2011 – Taleveras Group transferred $2 million.
•January 3, 2012 – Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV wired $600,000.
•January 10, 2012 – A final payment of $1 million was made by Taleveras.
Prosecutors argue that these payments were made in exchange for the right to lift crude oil from AEDC’s corruptly acquired SAAs. The funds were then routed through U.S. correspondent banks in Newark, New Jersey, before being funneled into Aluko’s Swiss accounts.
Further Transactions by Arcadia and Glencore
The investigation further revealed that Arcadia Energy also played a role in the scheme, entering into agreements with AEDC that saw it pay millions of dollars into Aluko’s accounts.
Between April 2012 and February 2013, Arcadia made multiple payments into an account held by AEDC at LGT Bank (Schweiz) AG:
•April 18, 2012 – $10 million
•May 14, 2012 – $1.3 million
•July 23, 2012 – $2.4 million
•July 24, 2012 – $1.3 million
•August 2012 – $2.9 million
•September 17, 2012 – $25 million
•September 18, 2012 – $2.091 million
•January 8, 2013 – $23.4 million
•January 10, 2013 – $1.6 million
•February 4, 2013 – $2 million
•Subsequent transactions – $1.1 million, $6 million, and $1.7 million
Meanwhile, Glencore purchased over 7 million barrels of crude oil from AEBD, with payments directed to multiple accounts in Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Standard Chartered Bank London, and Stanbic IBTC Nigeria.
Between April and July 2013, Glencore’s payments included:
•$83.6 million (April 5, 2013)
•$80.5 million, $79.4 million (July 4, 2013)
•$19.8 million (July 17, 2013)
•$19.5 million (July 19, 2013)
•$83.4 million (July 21, 2013)
Taleveras Responds
In response to the allegations, Taleveras’ legal team issued a statement distancing the company and its founder, Igho Sanomi, from the criminal case against Atlantic Drilling Fluids.
“This legal case is not against Taleveras or Igho Sanomi. Some reports are misleading and grossly inaccurate.”
The company defended its role as a third-party contractor, stating that all transactions were conducted under international trading standards:
“Taleveras continues to source and procure third-party oil contracts, ensuring compliance with all due diligence and verification processes. Payments were made based on contracts with private companies, not NNPC.”
The company also clarified that it never lifted crude oil from AEDC and had taken legal action to address contractual breaches.
The Bigger Picture
The unfolding Diezani corruption scandal continues to expose the deep-rooted corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector. While the U.S. Justice Department pushes forward with its asset forfeiture case, the involvement of major oil traders like Taleveras, Arcadia, and Glencore further underscores how the illicit oil-for-cash deals were structured.
As the case develops, all eyes remain on U.S. prosecutors, who are determined to trace and recover the billions allegedly siphoned from Nigeria’s oil wealth.
