Buhari's ex-minister, Amina Mohammed entangled in $300million bribery and illicit trade scandal (Details, pics)

The deputy secretary general of the United Nations and Nigeria's former minister of environment Amina Mohammed is at the centre of a bribery and illicit trade scandal.

According to reports, Mrs Mohammed was alleged to have authorised export of endangered timber, rosewood, to China in her last days as Nigeria’s minister for environment. Mrs. Mohammed who is the second highest ranking official of the United Nations, is well-regarded globally for her record as a champion of the poor and the environment.

However a report on Thursday, November 9, by the Washington-based Environment Investigation Agency (EIA) said that the top diplomat allowed export of rosewood from Nigeria, despite an existing ban.

It was gathered that EIA stated that documents signed by Mrs. Mohammed in January, 2017 were used by Chinese importers to clear more than $300 million worth of rosewood logs now confiscated by Chinese border authorities.

According to the UN Office on Dr*gs and Crimes, logs from rosewood feed the booming luxury furniture market in China and the timber, is “the world’s most trafficked wild product.”

Last year, the timber, also called kosso was then marked an endangered specie and placed under trade restriction by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to which Nigeria is a signatory.

EIA its investigation said officials in Nigeria allegedly received more than $1 million in bribes to help facilitate the export of the rosewood.

Farhan Haq, UN's spokesman said: "Mrs. Mohammed categorically rejects any allegations of fraud.”

“She says that she signed the export certificates requested before the ban only after due process was followed and better security watermarked certificates became available.”