Kola Aluko, a business ally of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, may lose $25 million luxury property in Los Angeles as the United States Department of Justice has begun proceedings to seize it.
US officials told a US District Court in Southern District of Texas that the mansion was bought to “launder ill-gotten gains” from Nigeria.
Aluko has been the subject of various investigations in Nigeria and abroad for allegedly taking part in shady oil contracts.
Properties, including a yacht used by Beyonce and Jay Z for vacation, and a New York penthouse, have been seized from him. The 65-metre Galactica Star superyacht was later auctioned in July 2019.
The US Government, represented by Joshua Lee Sohn, trial attorney at the DoJ, said it had initiated proceedings at the court, which hears many federal asset-forfeiture cases to seize a villa at 755 Sarbonne Road in western Los Angeles acquired in 2012 by Aluko.
This luxurious property, which includes an infinity pool and 1,400 square metres of land on the city’s heights, is estimated to be worth nearly $25m.
It said the mansion was acquired through “specified illegal activity” that justifies its confiscation.
Apart from the application to seize the mansion, the DoJ is also on a hunt for assets acquired on American soil by Aluko and Jide Omokore, another Diezani ally.
The DoJ said the duo received multiple shipments of crude at knock-down prices, resold to trading giants at comfortable profits and invested the proceeds in high-end real estate.
The department said Aluko also bought three other mansions in the US through shell companies, one in Beverly Hills worth $15 million and two in Santa Barbara valued at $33million.
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