From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, has stated that the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court does not automatically resolve or terminate separate asset-recovery proceedings pending in Nigerian courts.
Speaking during a joint media briefing, Rev. Ugolor—alongside representatives from civil society organizations including CISLAC, HEDA Resource Centre, Spotlight on Corruption, and The Corner House—clarified the legal distinctions between criminal trials and civil asset-forfeiture proceedings.
“The UK verdict must be respected. Mrs. Alison-Madueke was found not guilty of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
“However, a criminal case concerns the guilt or innocence of a specific individual, whereas asset recovery pertains to the alleged proceeds of unlawful activity.
“It is not about the person; it is about whether specific funds or assets are legally proven to be tied to crime,” Ugolor stated.
He emphasized that civil society groups are not demanding a fresh criminal trial of the former minister, but rather urging that ongoing asset-recovery suits in Nigeria proceed strictly on legal merits, free from media prejudice or external interference.
Ugolor noted that the UK trial did not address the status or ownership of assets covered by Nigerian court orders.
He cited a January 2025 agreement between the United States and Nigeria regarding $52.88 million in forfeited assets linked to Alison-Madueke and business associates Kolawole Aluko and Olajide Omokore.
Under the bilateral agreement, $50 million was directed to a World Bank-administered trust fund for Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, while $2.88 million was allocated for counter-terrorism capacity building.
The ANEEJ director expressed concern over the persistent lack of a centralized, publicly accessible database detailing recovered assets, which hampers the public’s ability to verify valuations, custody, disposal, and yield.
“It remains difficult for citizens to track the status of specific assets linked to various legal actions, highlighting a major gap in public transparency,” he said.
He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies to strictly implement the record-keeping and management mandates of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022.
Regarding the pending Federal High Court suit in Abuja concerning assets claimed by Alison-Madueke, the court in July 2026 permitted her legal team to tender evidence of the UK acquittal.
Hearing on the EFCC’s preliminary objection and the main suit is scheduled for October 6, 2026.
“The UK criminal acquittal and Nigerian asset-forfeiture cases are distinct legal processes.
“The Federal High Court must decide the matter based strictly on the evidence and applicable Nigerian law,” Ugolor concluded.
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