By Stephen Simon
The Director of News at Arise Television, Sumner Sambo, has called on the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to provide Nigerians with a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a London court after an 11-year legal battle.
Sambo made the call on Wednesday while speaking on Arise Television’s programme, “Prime Time,” following reports that a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London cleared Alison-Madueke of all six bribery-related charges brought against her by British authorities.
According to Sambo, while it was commendable that the former minister consistently maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings and eventually secured a favourable verdict, Nigerians deserved a comprehensive account of how the case unfolded and why it ended differently from public expectations.
“It is good that she maintained her innocence and has now secured justice, but Nigerians need to understand exactly what happened,” he said.
Sambo noted that for years, the Federal Government and the EFCC had informed Nigerians about investigations, asset recoveries and forfeiture proceedings linked to allegations against the former minister.
He argued that the authorities now have a responsibility to clarify what has changed and explain why the conclusions reached by British prosecutors and the London court appeared to differ from the narrative that had been presented to the Nigerian public over the years.
The veteran journalist also questioned whether all relevant evidence and information available to Nigerian authorities had been adequately presented during the British prosecution process.
His comments come barely 24 hours after a London jury unanimously acquitted Alison-Madueke of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery following a trial that lasted several months. The jury reportedly deliberated for more than 46 hours before returning not-guilty verdicts on all counts.
British prosecutors had alleged that Alison-Madueke received luxury benefits, including the use of high-end properties, chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet travel and expensive shopping privileges from oil industry figures seeking favourable treatment in relation to lucrative Nigerian oil contracts between 2011 and 2015.
However, the former minister consistently denied the allegations, insisting that she never solicited or accepted bribes and that many of the expenditures cited by prosecutors were either officially funded or personally reimbursed. Her legal team also argued that she had no direct authority to single-handedly award oil contracts, maintaining that decisions were made through established government processes.
The case was widely regarded as one of the most significant international anti-corruption prosecutions involving a former Nigerian public official. Alison-Madueke, who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, also made history as the first woman to serve as President of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The allegations against her first surfaced shortly after the end of the Jonathan administration in 2015, leading to investigations in multiple jurisdictions, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Over the years, Nigerian authorities announced the recovery and forfeiture of several assets allegedly linked to the former minister. The EFCC secured court orders for the forfeiture of properties, cash and luxury items in various proceedings, while the United States and Nigeria also collaborated on the repatriation of assets linked to wider investigations involving the former minister and her associates.
Despite the acquittal in London, legal experts note that the verdict does not automatically invalidate separate civil asset forfeiture proceedings previously concluded in other jurisdictions, as criminal trials and civil recovery actions often operate under different legal standards.
Sambo’s remarks have since sparked fresh debate over the implications of the London verdict and whether Nigerian anti-corruption agencies should provide a fuller account of the evidence, investigations and asset recovery efforts associated with one of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases.
As public discussion continues, many Nigerians are expected to seek answers regarding the apparent contrast between years of allegations, asset recovery announcements and the eventual acquittal secured by the former petroleum minister in the United Kingdom.
For now, the London verdict marks the end of one of the most closely watched international corruption trials involving a former Nigerian public official, while raising new questions about accountability, evidence gathering and the complexities of cross-border anti-corruption prosecutions.
