Forrmer President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke have been named by Italian prosecutors among those who allegedly received kickbacks in the $1.3bn Malabu oil block deal.
The deal involves two oil giants ENI and Royal Dutch Shell.
In documents filed by Italian prosecutors last month in Milan, they claimed that Jonathan met with Chief Executive of ENI, Claudio Descalzi, and his predecessor, Paolo Scaroni to discuss the deal.
The prosecutors also alleged that the former president received $466m alongside Dieziani and bought over some government officials for the smooth running of the deal.
“The beneficiaries of the money went on a shopping spree buying property, aeroplanes, armoured cars,” the prosecutors said.
According AFP who claimed to have sighted the papers, the Italian prosecutors alleged that ENI and Shell executives worked with a Nigerian businessman, Dan Etete, who was an “oil minister under the military ruler, Sani Abacha, from 1995 to 1998.”
Both oil giants have however denied the allegations.
Shell in an email to AFP said, “We are aware of the investigation and we hope to show the prosecutor that there is no basis to prosecute Shell.
“Shell takes this matter seriously and is co-operating with the authorities.”