Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has refuted claims connecting her to $52.8 million recently repatriated to Nigeria from the United States. Through her legal counsel, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Alison-Madueke clarified that the funds were proceeds from the sale of a yacht, Galactica, owned by Nigerian oil magnate Kola Aluko, and not linked to her in any way.
The statement, titled “There is No Such Thing as Diezani Loot”, emphasized that Alison-Madueke had no involvement in the forfeiture or sale of the vessel. According to Ozekhome, the false narrative associating her with the funds is part of a broader campaign to malign her reputation and distort the facts surrounding her tenure as minister.
The former minister has been in the United Kingdom since leaving office and is currently facing legal proceedings there. Her counsel described the allegations as a continuation of what he termed “a cocktail of lies and misinformation” that has plagued Alison-Madueke for the past decade.
In the statement, Ozekhome criticized the vilification of his client, asserting that the consistent attempts to label the funds as “Diezani Loot” are baseless and defamatory. He reiterated that the yacht was purchased, used, and later forfeited by Kola Aluko, who was engaged in business long before Alison-Madueke assumed office.
The legal team also addressed claims regarding Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) between Kola Aluko’s Atlantic Energy companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). They clarified that Alison-Madueke, as Minister of Petroleum Resources, did not have the authority to award such contracts, debunking allegations that she played a role in the agreements.
Ozekhome urged the public and media to exercise fairness and allow ongoing legal proceedings in the UK to take their natural course. He called for an end to what he described as a deliberate smear campaign, imploring those perpetuating the falsehoods to “find better use of their time” and let the law prevail without interference.
The statement concluded with a plea for fair hearing and respect for due process, emphasizing that Alison-Madueke has not been convicted of any wrongdoing by any court of law in Nigeria or abroad.
