Diezani: Ozekhome, HURIWA caution against ‘smear campaign’

Renowned lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) have dismissed sustained vilification of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, describing it as baseless and unfounded.

Ozekhome, a solicitor to the former minister, decried the persistent vilification of Alison-Madueke, emphasising that no court in Nigeria or abroad had convicted her of any offence. Ozekhome’s remarks followed recent reports linking Alison-Madueke to the forfeiture of the luxury yacht, Galactica.

The lawyer said the vessel belonged to businessman, Kola Aluko, who voluntarily surrendered it to the U.S. authorities, and not Alison-Madueke. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria referenced a 2016 ruling by the Federal High Court in Nigeria, which validated contracts awarded to Atlantic Energy by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The court, presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, acquitted Atlantic Energy’s directors of charges related to money laundering and false representation.

According to Ozekhome, it is “preposterous” to implicate Alison-Madueke in these contracts, as she played no role in their procurement or negotiation, stressing the need for her to be given fair hearing.

He also criticised other sensational allegations against his client, such as claims of owning a diamond-studded bikini valued at $12 million, a story the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had since debunked.

He said: “Those purveyors and peddlers, who habitually spin these outrightly false, unfounded, defamatory, unintelligent and indefensible narratives to denigrate and humiliate her should please find better use of their time and leave DAM alone.”

IN its statement, HURIWA called for fairness and a commitment to the rule of law.The association expressed dismay over the continuous use of the term “Diezani loot” to describe assets and funds reportedly recovered in cases entirely unrelated to her, alleging that such narratives were part of a deliberate campaign of misinformation and prejudice.

The national coordinator of the group, Emmanuel Onwubiko, while addressing the media yesterday, said Alison-Madueke, who had reportedly been under investigation in the United Kingdom for nearly a decade, had not been convicted of any crime by any court of law in Nigeria or abroad. Onwubiko noted that despite this, she remained the target of a sustained smear campaign which the association described as sensational and prejudicial.