The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) have described the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a United Kingdom court as a setback to global anti-corruption efforts.
In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), the organisations said the verdict should serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria to strengthen its own anti-corruption institutions and pursue justice domestically.
The Southwark Crown Court in London acquitted Diezani Alison-Madueke of all six charges of bribery and conspiracy after 46 hours of jury deliberation.
While respecting the court’s decision, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria noted that the case highlighted systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector between 2011 and 2015.
“The verdict underscores the challenges associated with securing criminal convictions against politically exposed persons based largely on circumstantial lifestyle evidence,” the statement said.
The group stressed that Nigeria must now refocus attention on domestic accountability, questioning why allegations relating to actions carried out while serving in public office have not been conclusively addressed by Nigerian institutions.
“The fact that foreign institutions took the lead in pursuing this matter reflects longstanding weaknesses in Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture and the inability of relevant agencies and the judiciary to effectively prosecute high-profile corruption cases,” the statement added.
CISLAC/TI-Nigeria urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the judiciary to diligently pursue all outstanding civil and criminal cases involving the former minister in Nigeria, strengthen investigations and ensure prosecutions are backed by credible and admissible evidence, reduce reliance on foreign jurisdictions by implementing reforms in the judiciary and energy sector, and prioritise civil asset recovery mechanisms to facilitate the return of contested assets.
The organisations reaffirmed their commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in public governance.
