PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, in the last couple of days, arguably, may not emerge victorious in a popularity contest. Instead, the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison- Madueke would come top of such a contest. Take or leave it, the ex minister has, since last weekend, been the most mouthed name in the country .
However, her fame is not the type most people would pray for . That she has suddenly become a household name is on account of her recent arrest by the National Crime Agency (NCA), United Kingdom over alleged money laundering . Certainly, the former minister would not be taken aback that she is being probed by the incumbent administration. To say that she has been expecting a clampdown on her is an under- statement. But she may not have envisaged that the tackle would start from outside the shores of Nigeria. Possibly, if she had realised that, there is doubt if she would have elected to reside in London. Though she and four other suspects, arrested were grant- ed conditional bail by the British National Crime Agency , the reprieve lasted only for few hours. They ordered to report last Monday at the Charing Cross Police Station.
The noose around her neck was tightened that Monday as she was arraigned before Westminster Magistrates Court, Central London on Monday.
There are still claims, however, that she did not appear before the court that day. Broadcaster and activist, Kayode Ogundamisi, in a series of tweets via his Twitter handle, @ogundamisi on Monday shared photos from the Charing Cross Police Station, as well as photos of court 10 at the Westminster Magistrate Court, London, where the ex-minister is purportedly to be charged.
Ogundamisi, said: “Only three cases listed for court 10 at the Westminster Magistrate Court. Diezani Alison-Madueke is not listed. Officials at West Minster Magistrate Court said they have not seen the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.”
Both London and Nigeria are not safe havens for Deziani at the moment .The same day she was arrested and quizzed in London, , her residence in Abuja was frisked and sealed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) .
The import of that is clearly that both Nigeria and UK are collaborating on the onslaught on Madueke . It was not surpris- ing that the Presidency came out to announce, early in the week, that it was working with the UK on that.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mr Femi Adesina told an online plat- form “The government is aware of the arrest and all the government investigative agencies are working very closely with the British law enforcement”.
He stressed; “Nigerian authorities are saying for the first time that matters are being handled with seriousness and deep commitment. Nobody wants to give the impression that this government is frivolous and unserious.
“For this reason, government is only confirming active collaboration. Beyond this, we are not saying more. In due course, Nigerians will be briefed on updates as appropriate.”
Deziani is unlikely to return to Nigeria soon. This because the traveling documents of the former former minister, were seized by the police on the day she was granted conditional bail. The seizure was part of the bail conditions . The documents are to be with the security operatives till the end of investigation of the case and her arraignment.
Of this will not amuse the minister, her family members and her supporters. But her army of critics in Nigeria are at home with the development.

Clarification on arrest

That Diezani’s travails are en- joying widespread celebration in the camp of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) and some other circles is clearly a well known fact. But, until the UK NCA came out to situate the rationale for arresting and quiz- zing the former minister, there were diverse claims on why she was nabbed.
Perhaps, in a bid to check the spread of misleading claims that trailed the arrest, NCA, last weekend clarified that investigation into allegations of corruption against Mrs Madueke    and the four other people arrested on Friday had been on since 2013.
The agency said on its website that investigation was originally handled under the Proceeds of Corruption Unit (PCU) domiciled at the London Metropolitan Police Service in 2013 until earlier this year when the case was transferred to it.
The NCA said following the creation of the International Corruption Unit (ICU) in line with the UK Anti-Corruption Plan, the PCU at the Metropolitan Police and the Overseas Anti- Corruption Unit of the City of London Police were scrapped.
The ICU has since become the UK’s prime agency for the in- vestigation of bribery of foreign public officials by individuals
or companies from the UK, and money laundering by corrupt foreign officials and their associates.
The Proceeds of Crime Act says “The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (“POCA”) sets out the legislative scheme for the recovery of criminal assets with criminal confiscation being the most commonly used power.
“Confiscation occurs after a conviction has taken place. Other means of recovering the proceeds of crime which do not require a conviction are provided for in the Act, namely civil recovery, cash seizure and taxation powers.

“The aim of the asset recovery schemes in POCA is to deny criminals the use of their assets, recover the proceeds of crime and disrupt and deter criminality.

How Jonathan’s camp is taking arrest

Mrs Madueke’s arrest may be taken on its face value by most Nigerians but the camp of former President Goodluck Jonathan sees it differently. The camp believes that President Buhari is on a mission to humiliate his predecessor. For the camp, the arrest is line with the position of the incumbent administration to probe only the Jonathan’s government .
“We see everything moving according to an agenda . They want to use Diezani to get at President Jonathan. The President had told the whole world that he would only probe Jonathan’s administration.”, a former minister who does not want his name mentioned said.
He continued “the handwriting is very clear, they are after us, they are after Jonathan who ensured that peace reigns by accepting defeat in the general election when he had the option of contesting some of the results. We are waiting for them, we are waiting for their script to be unfolded”.
Some of the ex ministers were said to have visited Jonathan last weekend. The agenda of the meeting was clear: To figure out ways of escaping the impending clampdown.
The source said “ we are meeting , we are discussing, we will not be taken by surprise. We know their agenda, we are ready for them. Nigerians know the truth”.
However, within the Jonathan’s camp, some ex ministers are happy with what is happening to Deziani
Two former ministers were quoted as saying that they were indifferent to Alison-Madueke’s plight.
According to one of them whose identity was not revealed : “I think many of us won’t be surprised because even at FEC we saw it coming.
“Some of our colleagues, virtually hero-worshipped her even though we were supposed to be equal in the cabinet.”

Before her arrest

Shortly after the March Presidential election and less than two months before she left office, Alison Madueke, had raised the alarm claiming that she was being persecuted . He blamed members of a cabal, whom she said she had stepped on their toes in the interest of the nation as those persecuting her .
She has also decried insinuations that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was delaying to remit to government, the $1.48 billion (N294.5 billion) uncovered by a recent forensic audit, adding that remission had started.
Speaking to newsmen F at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by then President Goodluck Jonathan, she contended that , contrary to the conclusion by
the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), NNPC had started remitting the N294.5 billion uncovered by a recent forensic audit.
She said: “The PriceWater House Copper forensic audit that was done few weeks ago, in its recommendation, mentioned that $1.48 billion was owed by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) for a block that had hitherto been assigned from the NNPC to NPDC, which is its subsidiary and they felt that the right process will be that NPDC will refund that money to the federation account. NPDC has apparently started those re- funds and it is also in discussion with NNPC and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on the same. So, the refund has actually started.”
On alleged desperate moves to save herself from some of the actions she took, including seeking the help of former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Alison-Madueke said; “I believe that His Excellency has already answered that and called it unnecessary mischief and I will ask that the media do its research properly and deal with the facts. I have the privilege of meeting with many senior statesmen during the course of my job in the Federal Executive Council and I was surprised that he should be singled out in any such form. The short answer is, no.
“I have not sought such assistance because I am not aware that I have been indicted of any crime that I will need a soft landing. Over the last four years, I have been severally and unfortunately accused and labelled in so many malicious and vindictive ways. I have explained these things and pushed back robustly on these accusations and I have even gone to court on many of them. Yet, they keep being regurgitated. I think it is unfortunate, particularly, when we are moving into a transition period and looking forward to an incoming government that is coming to take over where we have ended.”

Conclusion
There are two ways Diezani can exit from her current travails. One is through the court and the other, through political solution. The road to both options is strewn with hurdles. Yes, some of the allegations against the women are rooted in conjectures and likely to be dismissed by courts. But there are plethora of others that are not only provable but damming in nature . They are capable of nailing her at the end of the day.
The possibility of striking a political solution to her problem is remote. The reason is that Buhari will unwilling to do business with her except if not doing so would hurt his government. For now everybody is waiting to see how the drama will end.