Nigerian government, US sell $42m Diezani ally’s luxury yacht

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United States Government have sold off a 65-metre Galactica Star super yacht worth $42m (N15.1bn) belonging to oil magnate Kola Aluko, who was accused of cheating Nigeria out of almost $1.8bn (N648bn) in siphoned crude oil sales.

Although the yacht was priced at $42m, it could not be confirmed the exact amount that the vessel was sold.

Aluko, who is an ally of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been on the radar of anti-graft agencies for the last four years.

According to Yacht Harbour, the yacht, which was custom-built by Dutch yard Heesen in 2013, is the second largest ever built by Heesen

The vessel, which was sold on July 25, 2019, features exterior styling by Omega Architects, engineering by Van Oossanen & Associates, finished by interiors from the boards of Bannenberg & Rowell.

The report reads in part, “In April 2019, the vessel was offered for sale in a sealed bid arrangement proposed by the US Department of Justice and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and approved by US federal court. The sale process roots back to corruption case against two Nigerian nationals.”

The US government had accused Aluko and another oil businessman, Jide Omokore, of laundering money in the US and using it to acquire the yacht, among other assets.

– Punch