The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has opposed an attempt by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to rely on her recent acquittal in the United Kingdom as fresh evidence in an ongoing asset forfeiture case before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
At proceedings before Justice Inyang Ekwo, the anti-graft agency argued that the June 2026 acquittal of Alison-Madueke by Southwark Crown Court in the UK has no direct bearing on the Nigerian asset recovery proceedings.
According to the EFCC, the criminal case heard in the United Kingdom and the asset forfeiture matter before the Nigerian court are separate legal issues and should not be treated as interconnected.
However, counsel to the former minister, led by senior advocate Mike Ozekhome (SAN), maintained that the UK court’s decision is a relevant development that should be considered by the court.
The defence argued that the acquittal occurred while the Nigerian proceedings were still ongoing and could have implications for the court’s assessment of due process and the legal basis for the forfeiture of the assets in question.
Ozekhome contended that the outcome of the British trial may provide important context regarding the allegations against his client and should therefore form part of the materials before the court.
The legal dispute now places Alison-Madueke’s UK acquittal at the centre of a fresh courtroom battle in Nigeria, as both parties await the court’s determination on whether the foreign judgment can be admitted and considered in the ongoing asset forfeiture proceedings.
Justice Ekwo is expected to rule on the matter as the case continues.
