Jide Omokore
By SaharaReporters, New York
The Abuja-bound plane had arrived in Paris from Monaco. A French police source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity disclosed that the plane was detained for two days.
The source did not disclose the make and model of the jet nor the exact date the aircraft was detained, but disclosed that the private jet was detained as part of an investigation into its ownership. Even though the source refused to reveal more, stating that further disclosure could compromise their investigation, a source in Abuja told SaharaReporters that French authorities seemed interested in finding out if the jet belonged to a Nigerian official. The Abuja source stated that Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke may be the focus of the French investigation.
SaharaReporters was told that the detained jet was flying Mr. Omokore and two women when it was impounded for two days. The jet was later released and was then flown back to Nigeria with Mr. Omokore on board.
The name of the Kogi-born Jide Omokore has featured prominently in the recent fuel subsidy scandal that rocked the Nigerian economy. In Abuja circles, he is well known as a front man for President Jonathan and Petroleum Minister Alison-Madueke.
Proshare News & Investigations (NI) has authoritatively confirmed that the Nigerian businessman, Mr. Jide Omokore’s jet was never impounded by the French Law Enforcement officers in Paris .
ReplyDeleteSome media agencies had reported that “an Abuja-bound plane arriving in Paris from Monaco was detained for two days according to an official source”.
Enquiries by the NI unit confirmed that this was not the case.
Evidently, the person of interest in the story, Mr. Jide Omokore and his organisation own private jets of which none has ever been detained/impounded at all, or for any reason remotely concerned to the subject news.
Calling from Houston , Texas in the United States of America ; Mr Jide Omokore intimated that this must have been a mis-information or mis-representation.
A source in the French Police indicated that they have no record of such an incident.
Thanks for this information.
Delete