Come And Defend Yourself In Your Country – Former Presidential Aide To Alison-Madueke

Former presidential media aide, Laolu Akande, has urged the erstwhile Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to return to Nigeria and clear her name.

Naija News reported that the former minister, who served under ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan, between 2010 and 2015, was recently acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery after a trial that began in January.

However, speaking on Friday in an interview on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief,’ Akande stated that UK court’s acquittal is not enough and urged her to return home to clear her name.

He insisted that Alison-Madueke still has unresolved legal matters with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

It’s an exciting news. And she should come home and get these matters sorted. She should go through the EFCC cases against her, for which quite a significant portion of her properties have been forfeited.

“I think the time is now ripe for her to come and defend herself in her own country, and let’s see where the pendulum goes,” Akande said.

Meanwhile, Alison-Madueke, has addressed allegations of more than 80 properties being linked to her.

Naija News reports that the former minister, who served under ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan, between 2010 and 2015, was recently acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery after a trial that began in January.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had said it also recovered about $153 million and more than 80 properties from the former minister in 2022.

However, speaking during an interview on the BBC, Alison-Madueke stated that the assets could not be traced directly to her.

She said, “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”.

After her acquittal, Alison-Madueke said she would speak about the events of the past decade and her future plans “in due course”.