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EIGHTY PERSONS, foreigners and Nigerians, the living and the dead, among them four former Heads of State and two of their wives, as well as former Governors and Ministers – indeed the top echelons of the country’s political and military establishments, including technocrats – have been indicted by the United States law enforcement officials over the N27 billion Halliburton bribery scandal.

Among the foreigners are Jack Chagoury, Gilbert Chagoury, and T.W. Oerlemans, an Australian; but they are rather small fish compared with indicted former Nigerian Heads of State Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, Ernest Shonekan, and Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Maryam, the late wife of Babangida; Mariam, the wife of the late Abacha, and his son, the late Ibrahim, are included; likewise Mike Akhigbe, the second in command in the Abdulsalami junta; former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu; and former military Governors of Rivers State, Anthony Ukpo and Samuel Ewang.

Also among the dead are Abdulkadir Ahmed, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor; and renowned economist, Pius Okigbo, who headed the probe panel on the Gulf Crude Oil Excess sales set up by the CBN in 1994.

But among those alive are former Petroleum Minister, Rilwanu Lukman, and newly re-appointed National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau. (See full list).

According to the report of the investigators, the 80 persons received part of the N27 billion bribe facilitated by foreign contractors for Halliburton to get the contract to build the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant, Africa’s first, in Bonny, Rivers State..

The scandal dates back to 1994 when some foreign companies put up bids for the construction of the plant that was to cost $6 billion.

To win the contract, a joint venture company, named TSKJ, was set up – comprising equal holdings between some companies, Technip (French), Sanmprogetti (Italian), KBR (U.S.), and part of the Halliburton group and Japanese engineering and construction company, JGC.

The investigators said the consortium bribed political leaders and top government functionaries through Tri-Star Investment Limited and Marubeni Inc.

They also recruited British lawyer, Jeffery Tesler, to co-ordinate the affairs of Tri-Star, as well as Wojciech Chodan, an American, to co-ordinate the affairs of Marubeni.

TSKJ mandated Tri-Star to solely take charge of bribing Nigerian officials at senior level, Marubeni was restricted to bribing junior level officials.

Tesler disclosed in a court deposition that TSKJ mandated both companies to bribe the officials.

As part of the investigation, the Swiss Justice Department followed the steps of the Police Judiciare of France, which in 2003, started an investigation that revealed fraudulent Halliburton payments to Tesler.

In the U.S., KBR and Halliburton have admitted to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by engaging in a decade-long bribing scheme to secure contracts in Nigeria.

Both agreed to pay a combined fine of $579 million to settle criminal and civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice.

Those Indicted

1. Ibrahim Babangida
2. Maryam Babangida
3. Ernest Shonekan
4. Abubakar Abdulsalami
5. M. D. Yusufu
6. T.W. Oerlemans
7. Pius Okigbo
8. Aminu Saleh
9. Don Etiebet
10. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau
11. Edmund Daukoru
12. Victoria Ihonde
13. Toyin Olakunrin
14. Gilbert Temisan Grant
15. Gabriel Abolade Soyoye
16. Patrick Dele-Cole
17. E. Ihetu
18. Onya (NNPC personnel)
19. Sani Abacha
20. Joshua Dogonyaro
21. John Shagaya
22. U. J. Itsueli
23. Ombu Isokariari
24. G.O. Ejiga
25. Babagana Kingibe
26. Hakeem Bello-Osagie
27. J.O. Maduka
28. Sena Anthony
29. Dalhatu A. Bayero
30. Ogenyi (NNPC official)
31. I. Dapchi
32. M.A. Olorunfemi
33. Wilfred C. Eze
34. Umar Baba
35. Orji Kalu
36. Jeremiah Useni
37. Abba Gana
38. Ibrahim Abacha
39. Oladipo Diya
40. Chamberlain O. Oyibo
41. Judith Attah
42. Abdulkadir Ahmed
43. Anthony Ani
44. O.O. Okwara
45. Philip Asiodu
46. Endo (Marubeni Nigeria)
47. Hamman Tukur
48. S.J. Ollerearnshaw
49. Dan Etete
50. B. Soyode
51. Akin Ogunleye
52. Tom Ikimi
53. Gidado Idris
54. Sola Alabi
55. Ismaila Gwarzo
56. Mariam Abacha
57. Halilu Akilu
58. Abdullahi Mohammed
59. Hamza El-Mustapha
60. Ibrahim Aliyu
61. Edmund Ayoola
62. Anthony Ukpo
63. Samuel Ewang
64. Ismaila Usman
65. Tunde Soleye
66. Christ Akerele
67. Umaru Shinkafi
68. Philip Chukwu
69. Bunu Sherrif Musa
70. Rilwan Lukman
71. Aret Adams
72. Mike Akhigbe
73. Faruk Iya
74. Hassan Adamu
75. Prince Nzekwe
76. Gen. Adeyosun
77. Jasper Jumbo
78. Jack Chagoury
79. Gilbert Chagoury
80. Mohammed Atiku

A federal grand jury is about to indict John Edwards, sources tell the National Enquirer. The grand jury has been investigating the former presidential candidate since April 2009 for possible misuse of campaign funds -- Edwards had mistress Rielle Hunter on his payroll -- and indictment is now imminent. The Enquirer talked to one friend who revealed that John was "terrified":

"While he believes he's done nothing illegal in trying to hide his extramarital affair with Rielle and their daughter, he thinks the Feds are going to make an example of him."

It hasn't been a great winter for the former presidential candidate. On the one hand, there has been Andrew Young, former Edwards aide and admitted accomplice in concealing the affair, stepping forward with a tell-all memoir of campaign trail debauchery and details of an Edwards-Hunter sex tape. On the other, recently-separated-from wife Elizabeth has threatened to sue Young for "alienation of affection," while friends told the Enquirer that Edwards beat her in a marriage-ending fight.

Meanwhile, rumors float about that Edwards proposed to Hunter and the two plan to move into a recently purchased $3.5 million beachfront home. If the couple do in fact intend to move in together, plans could be delayed if Edwards ends up serving jail time.