Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has reacted to her acquittal by a United Kingdom court, declaring that the conclusion of her legal ordeal is not the final chapter of her story.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that a jury at the Southwark Crown Court in London found the 65-year-old former oil minister not guilty of six counts bordering on bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
The former minister was accused of accepting kickbacks from oil and gas industry figures in exchange for lucrative contracts under the Goodluck Jonathan administration between 2010 and 2015.
Reacting through her aide, Bolouere Opukiri, Alison-Madueke said she is relieved that a decade of unrelenting vilification and unjust scrutiny has finally concluded.
She expressed gratitude to her legal team, family, and friends for their steadfast support throughout the eleven-year period that the matter weighed heavily on her.
The full text of her statement reads:
“Today, at Southwark Crown Court, I was acquitted of all charges brought against me. For eleven arduous years, this matter has weighed heavily upon me and my family. Today, a decade of unrelenting and unjust vilification, condemnation, and scrutiny has finally concluded.
“I give thanks to Almighty God for His faithfulness and for the complete vindication I have received. I am grateful to my legal counsel for their diligence, and to my family and friends for their steadfast support and encouragement throughout this period.
“I am profoundly relieved. My name has been cleared, and this ordeal has come to an end.
“This, however, is not the final chapter. In due course, I shall address this difficult period in greater detail and share my intentions for the future. For now, I intend to embrace the freedom that has been unjustly denied me for many years.”
