Diezani: FG, EFCC owe Nigerians explanation –Sambo

File Photo:Diezani Alison-Madueke

The Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been urged to provide Nigerians with a clear explanation following the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a London court after an 11-year bribery trial.

The call was made by the Director of News at Arise Television, Sumner Sambo, who said it was important for authorities to clarify what led to the collapse of the high-profile case and the earlier public claims of recovered assets. He questioned whether all relevant facts were properly presented to British prosecutors and why the final judgment differed from earlier official positions.

Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 and once headed the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was cleared of six counts of bribery at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday. The court ruling ended a long-running corruption trial that began in 2015 and formally progressed in 2023.

Prosecutors had alleged that she received luxury benefits, cash, and favours from oil industry figures in exchange for contracts, while she consistently denied all allegations, insisting she acted within official duties and never received bribes. Following the verdict, her legal team described the decision as the end of a prolonged legal battle.

The case also involved other defendants, including oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doyé Agama, both of whom were also cleared of related charges. The ruling has sparked wider debate on the effectiveness of cross-border corruption prosecutions and the evidential burden in complex financial crime cases.

#DiezaniAlisonMadueke #EFCC #UKCourtVerdict