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Nigerian State Oil Executive Owns Unexplained Foreign Assets, Including UK Home

An investigation by a correspondent of SaharaReporters discovered that Mr. Omiogbemi, who is the NNPC’s head of oil movement, owns two expensive cars and a house in the United Kingdom paid for in cash.

A senior executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Kess Omiogbemi, is likely to face theft and money laundering charges over assets he owns in Nigeria and abroad, specifically the United Kingdom.

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An investigation by a correspondent of SaharaReporters discovered that Mr. Omiogbemi, who is the NNPC’s head of oil movement, owns two expensive cars and a house in the United Kingdom paid for in cash.

A source in the Nigerian oil industry that tipped off SaharaReporters that Mr. Omiogbemi was involved in suspicious financial activities as the head of Oil Movement at the NNPC. Our correspondent’s investigation revealed that the NNPC executive is the registered owner of a home at 107 Boxgrove Road, SE2 9JJ, an affluent part of London.

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SaharaReporters found that Mr. Omiogbemi’s home in London was purchased for 245,000 pounds sterling, an amount he paid in cash on February 7, 2014, without obtaining any loans. When SaharaReporters called the telephone number attached to the home, Mr. Omiogbemi’s wife answered and confirmed that the house belonged to the couple.

Mrs. Omiogbemi also confirmed that she drove a 2014 Audi hatchback car, which her husband purchased last year. SaharaReporters also learned that the NNPC executive also purchased a new 2014 Range Rover for himself last year.

SaharaReporters has also learned that Mrs. Omiogbemi applied to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to renovate parts of the house, which included an extension to the dining area. This request was submitted on February 18th, 2014 to begin work on March 24th, 2014.

The estimated cost of the two vehicles purchased by Mr. Omiogbemi comes to more than N18 million. The naira cost of his London house is more than N74.2 million. Mr. Omiogbemi’s total purchases in the UK alone amount to 305,000 pounds sterling or more than N92.4 million. 

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Scandal