Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke don tok say the UK authorities destroy her reputation for a failed prosecution wey she call painful and traumatic. She say the 13-year investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) could have been handled a lot differently.
She speak exclusively to BBC and say: “I’ve not been allowed to travel. I’ve not been allowed to work. They destroyed my reputation and my integrity.” On Wednesday, the former minister wey be 65 years old na dem find her not guilty at Southwark Crown Court of five counts of accepting bribes and conspiracy to commit bribery. The trial begin since January.
Alison-Madueke be Nigeria oil minister between 2010 and 2015 and she be the first female president of oil exporters group Opec. She say: “When your freedom is taken away from you… it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically. I knew that I had never done anything nefarious and I had never done any of the heinous things I was being accused of doing.”
Dem first arrest Alison-Madueke for 2015, but dem no charge her until 2023. Dem accuse her of receiving kickbacks from wealthy oil tycoons wey get government contracts. Dem say dem provide her with “a life of luxury” wey include Harrods, chauffeur-driven cars, and use of multi-million-pound properties for London and Buckinghamshire.
But from the start of trial for January, defence lawyers question the fairness of prosecution case. Dem suggest say vital documents wey go prove Alison-Madueke innocence don disappear for Nigeria. She say these include boxes of receipts wey show say the oil tycoons don reimburse payments wey dem make on her behalf. She add: “Those items were taken away by our intelligence forces from my home in Abuja in 2015,” and she no know wetin happen to dem.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, wey appoint Alison-Madueke, write to court say third parties often pay for transport and accommodation for ministers on overseas business. When dem ask who she hold responsible for the failings for the case against her, she say: “There’s a bit of blame everywhere. The Nigerian authorities need to look into the processes and practices that they deploy in these cases.”
BBC don ask Nigerian government for comment. As for NCA, she say: “The long arm of the law when you go into other countries, particularly in politically motivated cases, needs to have a lot more sensitivity.” She believe the agency go after her because she be “low-hanging fruit”, ignoring the work she say she do to counter corruption for oil industry and the fact say she make powerful enemies for Nigeria, Africa largest oil producer.
“I was the first female to enter this sort of position as petroleum minister and as head of Opec in a very misogynistic society.” She say NCA suppose “taken a step back and looked with a little more depth at the truth of the situation on the ground”.
An NCA spokesperson tell BBC say the agency “conducted a long-running, in depth and complex investigation which was regularly reviewed throughout its duration by CPS and the investigators”. The spokesperson add say NCA “worked closely with international partners and, as in all cases, this investigation was carried out with impartiality”. “A comprehensive file of evidence was presented to the CPS who authorised charges and we respect the decision of the jury in court.”
Alison-Madueke older brother Doye Agamas, wey be 69 years old and na archbishop for a Pentecostal church for Manchester, dem also acquit am of conspiracy to commit bribery. Oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, wey be 54 years old, dem find am not guilty of bribery and bribery of a foreign public official.
She face prosecution despite being an informant for an anti-corruption investigation by Nigerian authorities. For 2023, US Justice Department recover $53m (£40m) worth of assets wey dem seize from two of the oil tycoons wey dem name for this trial. For a statement at that time, department spokesperson say “Alison-Madueke used her influence to steer lucrative oil contracts” to companies wey the men own. On this point, Alison-Madueke tell BBC: “I was never given the opportunity to fight that because I wasn’t even charged” and say the contracts follow “the exact due process that they are supposed to go through.”
Nigeria anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), say dem also recover about $153m and more than 80 properties from the politician for 2022. When dem ask her about this, she reply: “The assets that have been forfeited were not actually traced directly to me. I don’t know what has happened to these matters at all. It’s now that I’ll have the freedom to find out what exactly has gone on there.”
