Mike Ozekhome refutes claims of corruption against Diezani Alison-Madueke, citing no UK evidence of stolen Nigerian funds

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]rominent legal figure, Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has dismissed ongoing corruption allegations against Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources.

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In a statement titled “There is no such thing as Diezani Loot”, Ozekhome highlighted the absence of evidence linking her to misappropriated Nigerian funds during a UK investigation spanning nearly a decade.

According to Ozekhome, no stolen funds have been traced to Alison-Madueke by British authorities, a fact allegedly confirmed by Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Despite years of scrutiny, she has not been formally charged with any financial misconduct.

Ozekhome criticised the persistent narrative of Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption as baseless and defamatory, driven by misinformation and public vilification.

He addressed specific accusations, such as claims regarding the “Galactica Yacht”, asserting she neither owned the vessel nor had any connection to it.

The senior advocate also cited a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, which cleared parties involved in the Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) of any wrongdoing.

He argued that issues arising from the SAA’s implementation were unrelated to Alison-Madueke’s role as minister, which was limited to ensuring procedural compliance.

Ozekhome revealed that Alison-Madueke had acted promptly upon learning of issues surrounding the Atlantic Energy SAA in 2014.

She reportedly alerted then-President Goodluck Jonathan and key officials, initiating an investigation and subsequent recovery measures for unpaid cash-calls.

Additionally, Ozekhome pointed to the misattribution of assets, including claims of a $52.8 million “Diezani loot” repatriated by the US government.

He reiterated that such properties were linked to individuals like businessman Kola Aluko, whose contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were independent of Alison-Madueke’s endorsement of vetted agreements.

The lawyer also disclosed Alison-Madueke’s health struggles, revealing that she underwent chemotherapy for cancer before her 2015 detention in the UK. Despite her illness and reliance on support from friends and family, she has faced relentless public scrutiny.