DIEZANI'S ALLY,KOLA ALUKO ALLEGEDLY SELLS OFF SOME PROPERTY TO EVADE ANTI GRAFT AGENCY

Wanted billionaire businessman, Kola Aluko, who is an alleged ally of embattled former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has reportedly sold off some of his houses in America.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has written to the United States Government asking it to freeze the accounts where the proceeds of the sales are being held.

Documents showed that between May 2016 and August 2017, Aluko had hurriedly sold the properties through an illegal procedure.

The property sold include: a house at 755 Sarbonne Road, Los Angeles, California, 90077, USA and a house at 952 North Alpine Drive, Beverly Hills, California 80210, the neighbourhood of notable Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Steven Spielberg.

Aluko may have also sold a house at 1948 Tollis Avenue, Santa Barbara, California, USA.

The buildings are suspected to have been sold in an off-market transaction using a limited liability company.

An off-market sale in real estate refers to a property that is sold without any form of public advertising.

Forbes Magazine had reported last year that the property located at 755 Sarbonne Road, Los Angeles, was sold for $21.5m, taking a $3m loss after purchasing the sprawling residence in 2012 for $24.5m.

The said property was also sold in a similar manner barely two weeks before the EFCC was able to secure a Federal High Court order granting a Mareva injunction permitting the Nigerian Government to freeze assets owned by Aluko across the world.

Since the order, Aluko was said to have sold another three properties thereby frustrating attempts to seize them.

The EFCC in an application asked the US Government to ensure that the funds obtained from "the sale of the houses are, restrained if possible."