Civil Society Organisations have insisted that the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a court in the United Kingdom does not exonerate her from ongoing asset recovery and civil proceedings in Nigeria and other jurisdictions.

The CSOs, including African Network for Economic and Environment Justice (ANEEJ), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Human and Environmental Agenda (HEDA), Spotlight on Corruption and CornerHouse UK made the submission yesterday during a virtual press briefing yesterday in Abuja.

The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Revd David Ugolo stressed that there is a distinction between a criminal trial and non-conviction-based asset recovery, noting that the UK verdict was limited to the evidence and charges before the court.

“A criminal case is about the guilt or innocence of a particular person. Asset recovery focuses on alleged proceeds of corruption or crime. It’s not about the person; it’s about whether certain money or assets are tainted by criminality,” he stated.

Making reference to the recovery of the Galactica case, where $52.8 million in seized assets was returned to Nigeria after a US court affirmed that it was part of the proceeds of corruption relating to oil sector contract during Diezani’s tenure.

He added that up to $20 billion was alleged to have left the country during Diezani’s tenure as minister, and that questions around public accountability remain unanswered.

further  expressed concern over the management of assets linked to Diezani, saying there is currently no clear public database to show the status and location of seized properties. He recalled that part of the funds was used to support an international justice organisation, while $50 million was allocated to Rural Electrification agency in Nigeria.

He said “It would be difficult for citizens as we speak to point directly to where the Diezani assets are and what happened to them. That is a classical example of poor asset management.”

The Deputy Director Spotlight on Corruption Helen Taylor  also raised the issue of restorative justice, stating that funds allegedly meant for rural electrification projects are still with the World Bank and have not been returned to Nigeria.

She welcomed the EFCC Chairman’s recent commitment to transparency in asset disposal and urged the Commission to publish details of all recovered assets.

She noted that in July 2026, the Federal High Court permitted Diezani to present the UK acquittal as evidence in a Nigerian asset forfeiture case, with the matter adjourned to October 6, 2026

The CSOs urged the media to avoid reporting the UK verdict as the “end of the story” and to sustain pressure on investigating the issue.

“Good prosecution is a function of good investigation. Two key institutions are important: the investigating agency and the courts,” a speaker said, adding that corruption cases in Nigeria appear to be moving slowly.

They said it was in the public interest for any credible evidence available to Nigerian authorities to be tested in court, to provide clarity.

While there were arguments that the EFCC was unable to present any concrete evidence against Diezani at the UK Court, Revd Ugolor clarified that the briefing was not organised to defend or attack Diezani, but to provide information to journalists on asset recovery and implementation of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“Our interest is not about Diezani. It is about how Nigeria keeps a database on assets that are recovered and how they are managed,” an organiser stated.

He said the UK criminal acquittal and Nigerian asset forfeiture proceedings are “separate legal tracks” and one should not stop the other.