Musa Yar’Adua

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of Nigeria and his wife, Mrs. Turai Yar’Adua have been fingered in the endemic illegal crude oil hoarding, speculation and smuggling in the largest Africa oil producing nation. The Nigerian first family is alleged to have made an illegal profit of more than $20 Million in the last one year chiefly as proceed from the legacy of his late prominent politician brother, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.

According to documents available to Pointblanknews.com, the proceeds came from two sources. One, the revived operations of late General Yar’Adua’s oil trading company, Intels, whose two Italian operators, Jan Angelo Perruchi and Gabriele Volpi, sought and received the approval of President Yar’Adua for the lifting of several barrels of crude oil, unofficially, from specific loading barges in Nigeria. Two, through extensive smuggling operations of a well-known Yar’Adua’s associate and bosom friend, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal.

  This illegal trade was pioneered under President Abacha when Akhigbe, Victor Ombu and Ibrahim Ogohi perpetrated the smuggling of petroleum products from Port Harcourt and Warri to neighboring West African countries. Between the month of June and December 1996, Nigeria lost a total of 202,130 Metric Tonnes of petroleum products to smuggling with the connivance of Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe, Victor Ombu and Ibrahim Ogohi. It hasn't stopped since then.  

Critics of the new policy initiatives to seek British and American support to prosecute a wide ranging anti-bunkering and smuggling campaign in the Niger Delta area point to the moral hypocrisy of several Nigerian elected officials and military officers and Niger Delta Community leaders as being heavily involved in illegal oil sales. The Nigerian Government would want the multilateral onslaught to declare as “illegal and blood oil” the proceeds that often go into funding violence, kidnappings and arms struggles in Nigeria.

Mrs. Turai Yar’Adua

In available documents, Alhaji Mangal diverts several tanker loads of fuel for cross boarder illegal sales in Nigeria’s northern neighboring countries, especially Niger Republic.

Mangal had a very lucrative petroleum smuggling business during the days of General Sani Abacha. He became very close to Umaru Yar’Adua as the occupant of State House Kastina, their relationship as business co-travelers blossoms and intensified: And when Yar’Adua became president in 2007, Mangal became readily available for further business bidden.

Also, the re-energized operations of Intels is said to be mainly focused at international crude oil sales-an operation that is never officially invoiced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, or any of its subsidiaries.

It is further alleged that Intels in co operation with other powerful business and political individuals in Nigeria, including some serving state Governors and former Governors controls about 15 oil vessels which constantly changes name in an attempt to beat coastal surveillance in the Nigerian water ways.

The reports further confirm that over $100 Million dollars is being lost every week to the illicit oil business.

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The first lady’s name features prominently as somebody who hustles very strongly after NNPC’s officials for under table deals on oil. The affected individuals at NNPC are said to constantly devising of avoiding actions that could be termed as giving commitments of connivance. The NNPC officials often prove elusive because on-going probe of the trading company’s operations.

The document further alleges that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa is fully aware of the various shady deals involving President Yar’Adua and his wife.

The activities of Intels in Nigeria used to be with the active participation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, but after the emergence of President Yar’Adua and Intels rejuvenation, its operations have been shrouded in secrecy and the former vice president is said to no longer know how the company now functions.

Although, few years ago, three vessels: MT Gloria, MT Tina and MT Sara which had about 4,000 metric tones of crude oil aboard were linked to him.

Intels, according the documents, manages the oil terminals and oil services zones in Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri. The company has been in a relationship with a British Group, Afren, owned by Rilwan Lukman, a former OPEC Secretary and present Honorary Special Adviser on Petroleum Matters to President Yar’Adua through one of its subsidiary called Independent Energy which has one Murtala Yar’Adua as Executive.

However, family sources informed Pointblanknews.com that the emergence of Mrs. Turai Yar’Adua in the oil smuggling deal with Alhaji Mangal as arrow head was as a result of devolution of core responsibilities by late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s widow, Mrs. Binta Yar’Adua who is considered not too strong to do the running around required for the daily rigors of an high powered executive.

Only recently, Mrs. Yar’Adua was linked to an undisclosed oil deal with a Nigerian-American Businessman based in Houston, Texas, Mr. Kase Lawal. She has always maintained a dignified denial.

Efforts to reach the Special Adviser, Communication to President Yar’Adua, Mr. Segun Adeniyi did not succeed as a source in his office alleged that he has blacklisted pointblanknews.com as being hostile to the administration.

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