Embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources under the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has clarified she has no connection whatsoever with the sum of $52.8million recently repatriated to Nigeria from the US.
Diezani who spoke through her team of lawyers led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, lamented her continued linkage to corruption and looting of the nation’s treasure by alleged “traducers” seeking “to extract a Shylock’s pound of flesh from her for reasons she does not know and cannot even fathom”.
Meanwhile, on the heels of the recently returned $52.8 million in forfeited corruption proceeds the federal government had linked to former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged US President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration to identify and repatriate US-warehoused proceeds of corruption.
SERAP told Trump, “To promptly identify US-based proceeds of corruption traced to former and current Nigerian public officials and their associates and to ensure the full recovery and return of any such stolen assets to Nigeria.”
It added that, “Any return of proceeds of corruption from Nigeria must meet strict transparency and accountability standards to ensure the funds are used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people.”
In yet another related reaction, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), condemned what it called the continued linkage of the former minister to looting, lamenting such narratives are part of a deliberate campaign of misinformation and prejudice.
The federal government had linked the former minister to the repatriated funds during a signing ceremony of the Asset Return Agreement between Nigeria and the US, on January 10.
It said $52.8 million was recovered from the sale of a forfeited vessel (Galactica Assets).
Reacting to the linkage of his client to the recovered assets, Ozekhome maintained there was nothing like “Diezani Loot”, because the former minister was never fingered in the ownership of forfeited vessel, which according to her belonged to a Nigerian businessman, Mr. Kola Aluko.
Besides, Ozekhome pointed out that the issue surrounding the forfeited vessel has long been debunked and laid to rest in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2016: Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Olajide Omokore & Others.
He recalled that the then trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba (now of the Court of Appeal), had held that the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) between NNPC and the Atlantic Companies were validly entered into between the said companies and the NNPC.
According to the senior lawyer, “Furthermore, the said companies and their chairman were discharged and acquitted of any offence howsoever in relation to allegedly obtaining the contract or monies realized from it through false representations.
“They were also exonerated and freed of the offence of money laundering in relation to the said contracts with which they were also charged. The judgement in the case clearly established that the said contracts were properly awarded by NNPC and that the said award followed due process.”
While claiming that many of the narratives concerning Diezani “are outrightly false and some others sheer outlandish speculations, Ozekhome argued that it is necessary to correct this skewed narrative and set the records straight for purposes of history.
His words: “Many Nigerians often talk about wanting ‘technocrats’ to be involved in governance. They desire that people with character and integrity should join politics.
“We agree with them. However, and regrettably too, now and again and many a time, the same people not only allow, but actually join the bandwagon to mob-lynch those who chose to serve the nation.
“And we often do this insidiously, covertly and overtly, even when there is no concrete or even any iota of proof that such public officers ever abused their offices or stole from public coffers.
“It is therefore surprising and of great concern to us, to see the level of sustained vilification of an innocent Nigerian citizen who has not yet been tried and found guilty of any offence known to law by any court of law whether in Nigeria or abroad. The person at the receiving end is Citizen Diezani Alison-Madueke (DAM).
“We note with concern the recent deliberate attempt to link her with what has been described as a civil forfeiture of a yacht Galactica, the sale of which was said to have yielded $52.8m to the US government; which sum has since been repatriated to Nigeria.
“This is a clear example of the mischievous and cruel sport of tarnishing the image of the lady through a bouquet of consistent, persistent and unrelenting cocktail of falsehoods and misinformation.
“The purveyors of this line of misinformation term it “name-and-shame”. To sell the storyline, the architects ensured they attached Diezani’s name to a recovered yacht which is not in any way linked to her.
“They now falsely termed it “Diezani loot”. Nothing of the sort ever happened. She was never involved in the purchase, use and sale of the said yacht.
“The yacht Galactica, from information readily available in the public domain and in open sources, was purchased by Mr. Kola Aluko who had used the vessel until he agreed to its forfeiture to the United States of America.
“The yacht Galactica was neither owned nor ever used by our client. DAM has in fact never set her eyes on the yacht. Kola Aluko is an experienced businessman who had been in business well before DAM came into office as HMPR.
“The only tenuous basis for deliberately linking DAM to the said yacht is the false narrative that the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) which were entered into between Kola Aluko & Jide Omokore’s Atlantic Energy companies and NNPC, were allegedly corruptly awarded to the said companies by DAM.
“DAM was not the GMD of the NNPC as so did not and could not have awarded the said contracts.”
“We plead, as her lawyers, with all and sundry that she be accorded fair hearing and that the process of these UK court proceedings be allowed to take their natural course to avoid prejudice to her in the ongoing subjudice UK proceedings against her.
“Those purveyors and peddlers who habitually spin these outrightly false, unfounded, defamatory, unintelligent and indefensible narratives to denigrate and humiliate her should please find better use of their time and leave DAM alone.
“Let the law take its natural course without interference. We humbly pray.”
On its part, SERAP has urged US President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration “to promptly identify US-based proceeds of corruption traced to former and current Nigerian public officials and their associates and to ensure the full recovery and return of any such stolen assets to Nigeria.”
SERAP urged him to “direct the US Department of Justice to promptly initiate civil asset forfeiture proceedings against proceeds of corruption traced to former and current Nigerian public officials and their associates so as to fulfill several non-controversial commitments by the US to assist Nigeria in asset recovery matters.”
SERAP also urged him “to identify and publish the names of former and current Nigerian public officials suspected to be responsible for corruption and the depositing of its proceeds in US banks, and to apply existing US presidential proclamations to temporarily ban such officials from entering the US.”
In the letter dated January 18, 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Diezani Alison-Madueke’s looted assets and other recently returned assets represent a tiny fraction of the over $500 billion that have been reportedly stolen from Nigeria and located in the US or otherwise subject to US jurisdiction.”
SERAP said: “Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the UN Convention against Corruption to which both the US and Nigeria are states parties.”
According to SERAP, “Proceeds of corruption from Nigeria continue to be deposited in US banks or in other locations subject to US jurisdictions.”
SERAP’s letter read in part: “We hope you and your incoming government address the legal impediments that have continued to allow corrupt Nigerian government officials to deposit and conceal their ill-gotten assets in the US and other locations subject to US jurisdiction.”
“Returning proceeds of corruption to Nigeria is a development imperative. By returning proceeds of corruption to Nigeria, the US would be contributing to the efforts to address the growing poverty in the country and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The US has the obligations under the relevant provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption to trace, freeze and seize proceeds of corruption from Nigeria and located in the US or otherwise subject to US jurisdiction and to return the assets to the Nigerian people.
“SERAP is concerned that corruption remains a major obstacle to sustainable development, the rule of law and the effective enjoyment of socio-economic rights in Nigeria. Implementing the recommended measures would contribute to addressing these governance challenges.
“Corrupt practices have long been accepted as a fact of life and an inalienable part of the country’s ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs] and the governmental power structures across several states.
“Nigeria’s auditor-general office annually documents widespread and systemic corruption in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) including in the petroleum, education, health and water sectors, plunging millions of Nigerians further into poverty. The auditor-general office has declared trillions of naira as missing or diverted.
“SERAP urges you to promptly share information with relevant Nigerian civil society organizations on stolen assets of Nigerian origin located in the US or otherwise subject to US jurisdiction, as required by Articles 46(4) and 56 of the UN Convention Against Corruption.”
“Imposing a temporary travel ban on former and current Nigerian public officials suspected to be responsible for keeping proceeds of corruption in the US or in locations subject to US jurisdiction would not violate due process and presumption of innocence principles, as long as the reasons for the sanctions are communicated to those that may be affected.
“According to reports, the U.S. Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria recently announced an agreement to promptly repatriate approximately $52.88 million in forfeited corruption proceeds.
“These funds were forfeited to the United States as part of the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice. The forfeited assets had been illegally acquired using funds linked to money laundering and a conspiracy to bribe former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.
“In 2007, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu alleged that Nigerian politicians stole over $400 billion. Former military dictator General Sani Abacha reportedly collected truck-loads of cash running into billions of naira from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
In a related development, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly criticized what it describes as the sustained and baseless vilification of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, calling for fairness and a commitment to the rule of law.
HURIWA in a statement on Sunday expressed dismay over the continuous use of the term “Diezani loot” to describe assets and funds reportedly recovered in cases entirely unrelated to her, alleging that such narratives are part of a deliberate campaign of misinformation and prejudice.
HURIWA pointed out that Alison-Madueke, who has reportedly been under investigation in the United Kingdom for nearly a decade, has yet to be convicted of any crime by any court of law in Nigeria or abroad.