After Months Of Dodgy Affair, Intense Lobbying Aiteo Boss Ben Peters Finally Declared Wanted!

…why troubled ex petrol minister diezani madueke’s favoured associate failed to evade efcc clutches

Embattled Oil baron, Pen Peters is now officially a wanted man.

This development comes after months of evasive tactics by the front person of Aiteo Group to avoid the clutches of anti corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission societynowng.com understands.

Information available has it that the EFCC has been on the trail of the billionaire oil baron for a while but he was always one step ahead of the agency to avoid evades arrest.

He has been a person of interest for the agency since probe into activities of embattled ex petroleum minister Diezani Allison Madueke began sources confirmed.
Insiders revealed Peters is fingered as one of the major beneficiaries of the era widely labelled as ‘’the most corrupt’’ in the history of the Petroleum Industry.

He is famously linked with being a part in the mega money crude oil swap that saw the exchange of crude oil for refined petroleum products by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with raging allegations of rip of the nation by those involved.

The returned refine petroleum products are alleged to be far less than crude taken in the exercise peters was a major player in.

The EFCC has taken up the case part of allegations of under the table deals Peters and others involved carried out with Ex Minister Madueke.
Same for pretext is being used to look into the Peters acquisition of an 85-per cent stake in block OML 29 from Shell Gas Company for $2.56bn. OML 29 potentially holds up to 2.2 billion barrels of oil and about 300 million standard cubic feet of gas.

The EFCC has been after him to answer questions on these issues – and others- but fearing the fate of arrest and detention he has remained elusive societynowng.com learnt.

Rather than show up, he had reportedly engaged in intense underground lobbying to make his troubles go away.

Sources claimed he went as far as attempting a political solution to allegations hanging over his head by attempting to go through a powerful politician in the southwest region.

A popular man of the word is fingered as the go between.

In the face of raging talks of EFCC after him, the embattled oil baron with business interest in different countries came out to publicly deny invitation from the EFCC in an advertorial.

‘’But all this antics and underground lobbying has obviously come to naught’’ a source pointed in the face of emerging developments.

According to report monitored on the national newspaper Punch the anti corruption agency has officially declared the billionaire business man wanted

The report states in part ‘’ The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared billionaire businessman and Managing Director of Aiteo Group, Mr. Benedict Peters, wanted for his alleged role in the $115m (N23bn) bribe given to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 election.
The EFCC said in an official gazette signed by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, that Peters was wanted for criminal conspiracy, diversion of funds and money laundering.’’

Further details in the report also revealed while the commission headed by Ibrahim Magu took the drastic step ‘’ All attempts to get him have proved abortive. We currently do not know where he is and he is hardly ever in one place because he has a private jet.”

According to information the EFCC is seeking Mr Peters because ít launched investigations ‘’into the companies that gave Diezani money in form of kickbacks. About $60m came from Northern Belt Gas Company Limited. We have not been able to ascertain the directors of the company. However, we found out that Mr. Benedict Peters is the sole signatory to the account at Fidelity Bank’’

Independent digs by societynowng.com revealed the team of the troubled billionaire are currently in disarray over the unexpected twist.

‘’there are conflicting advices on the way forward..he should come forward or not, whether they should engage in media battle or not..as at now, they are not clear on the next step’’ a source claimed.

Societynowng.com however learnt those pushing for an immediate release of a counter report in the media against the EFCC’s declaration appears to be in the majority.

But a source insists the final decision still resides with the underground oil baron.
‘’but whatever the team decides Mr Peters still needs to veto it’’ a source stated categorically.