JUST IN: Alison-Madueke Acquittal: Nigeria Must Continue Asset Recovery, Accountability — ANEEJ

JUST IN: Alison-Madueke Acquittal: Nigeria Must Continue Asset Recovery, Accountability — ANEEJ

 

 

 

By OGB Joseph, Abuja

 

 

 

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has urged the Nigerian government to sustain investigations and asset recovery efforts linked to the country’s oil wealth, despite the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on specific charges in the United Kingdom.

 

 

 

ANEEJ Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor, made the call on Wednesday at a media and civil society briefing, stressing that the UK court’s decision should not end the broader conversation about public accountability, illicit financial flows and the recovery of assets allegedly linked to Nigeria.

 

 

 

Ugolor said the organisation respected the verdict of the UK court as well as the principles of due process and the rule of law, but maintained that the development should not be interpreted as the end of accountability efforts in Nigeria.

 

 

He said the central issue was not about prejudging Alison-Madueke or any other individual, but about protecting the public interest and ensuring that Nigeria’s resources were properly accounted for.

 

 

 

According to him, questions surrounding the management of the country’s oil wealth remained relevant, including what happened to public resources, what assets had been recovered, the legal basis for such recoveries and whether Nigerians could be assured that recovered assets would ultimately benefit the public.

 

 

 

“However, the acquittal of Diezani Alison-Madueke on the specific UK charges should not bring an end to the wider conversation about Nigeria’s oil wealth, public accountability, illicit financial flows and asset recovery,” he said.

 

 

 

Ugolor argued that Nigeria could not continue to rely solely on foreign jurisdictions to pursue accountability involving Nigerian resources, stressing the need for stronger domestic institutions capable of investigating and prosecuting complex financial crimes.

 

 

 

“International cooperation with the UK and other jurisdictions remains essential because illicit financial flows cross borders. But Nigeria must strengthen its own capacity to investigate, prosecute and recover stolen assets effectively,” he said.

 

 

 

The ANEEJ executive director also emphasised that asset recovery should not be regarded as the final objective of anti-corruption efforts, insisting that recovered assets must ultimately translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians.

 

 

 

“For us at ANEEJ, asset recovery is not the end of accountability. Recovery must lead to restitution and public benefit,” Ugolor said.

 

 

 

He called for greater institutional coordination among Nigerian agencies involved in financial crime investigations and asset recovery, as well as improved evidence gathering and international cooperation.

 

 

 

According to him, the Alison-Madueke case provides an opportunity for Nigeria to examine the institutional weaknesses that may affect the successful investigation and prosecution of complex cases involving public resources and assets located across different jurisdictions.

 

 

He said the country must move beyond focusing on personalities and instead draw lessons that would strengthen its anti-corruption and asset recovery systems.

 

 

 

“Today’s briefing therefore provides an opportunity to move beyond the personalities and examine the institutional lessons: how Nigeria can strengthen evidence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, international collaboration and transparent asset recovery,” he said.

 

 

 

Ugolor reiterated that ANEEJ’s position was not intended to prejudge the former minister, but to ensure that the wider public-interest questions surrounding Nigeria’s resources remained on the national agenda.

 

 

He maintained that accountability should continue wherever credible evidence exists and urged Nigerian authorities to take greater responsibility for safeguarding the country’s resources.

 

 

 

“Our message is simple: We respect the UK verdict. But accountability must continue where the evidence leads. Nigeria must take responsibility for protecting its resources, strengthening its institutions and ensuring that recovered assets serve the Nigerian people,” he said.