Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has criticised British authorities over the lengthy corruption investigation against her, saying the ordeal severely damaged her reputation and personal life despite her eventual acquittal by a London court.
Gatekeepers News reports that in an interview with the BBC after being cleared of bribery allegations, Alison-Madueke described the 13-year probe by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) as a difficult experience that left lasting psychological effects.
“I’ve not been allowed to travel. I’ve not been allowed to work. They destroyed my reputation and my integrity,” she said.
“When your freedom is taken away from you…it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically.”
The former OPEC president argued that investigators failed to fully understand the circumstances surrounding her tenure in Nigeria’s oil sector. She claimed British authorities singled her out because she was low-hanging fruit and overlooked the anti-corruption reforms she pursued while in office as well as the opposition she faced from powerful interests.
“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 said.
She further maintained that investigators should have examined the broader context of events before drawing conclusions.
“The NCA should have taken a step back and looked with a little more depth at the truth of the situation on the ground,” she said.
Alison-Madueke insisted she never engaged in wrongdoing and said she had always been confident of her innocence throughout the investigation.
The case stemmed from allegations that she received luxury gifts and access to high-value properties from oil businessmen in exchange for awarding lucrative oil and gas contracts while serving in government. However, she claimed documents that could have supported her defence disappeared after being seized from her Abuja residence.
“Those items were taken away by our intelligence forces from my home in Abuja in 2015,” she said, adding that she had no idea what happened to them.
The former minister also pointed to evidence provided by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who told the court that it was not uncommon for third parties to settle expenses for ministers undertaking official duties abroad.
Asked who should be held responsible for shortcomings in the case, Alison-Madueke said accountability was shared.
“There’s a bit of blame everywhere. The Nigerian authorities need to look into the processes and practices that they deploy in these cases,” she said.
The allegations also involved oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, both of whom were cleared alongside her.
Addressing asset recovery actions previously announced by authorities in the United States and Nigeria, Alison-Madueke said she had not been directly linked to the confiscated properties and funds.
“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.”
