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Speaker 1: Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice AINH has expressed

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deep concern over the acquittal of former Nigerian Minister of

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Petroleum Resources, missus de Zarni Allison Madueke by a United

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Kingdom court, describing the verdict as a troubling moment for

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the global fight against corruption, illicit financial flows, iff and impunity,

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a statement that follows the June seventeen, twenty twenty six

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ruling at the SUK Crown Court in London, where a

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jury cleared Allison Madueke of all six bribery charges brought

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against her by the UK’s National Crime Agency NCA after

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a five month trial and forty six hours of deliberation,

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while her co defendants, oil executive Ultimboiinde and her brother

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Doye Gamma were also acquitted, bringing a dramatic end to

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a saga that began more than a decade ago, a

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development that prompted AINAH to take immediate action today June

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twenty three, twenty twenty six, by launching a critical two

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day capacity building workshop in Abuja in collaboration with the

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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission e FCC, Nigerian Financial Intelligence

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Unit and FIU a body domicile within the Central Bank

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of Nigeria CBN and Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering SQML,

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an arm of the e FCC to regressively equip civil

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society organizations CSOs with the necessary tools to track, combat,

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and dismantle these very same illicit financial flows across Nigeria.

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Allison Madueke served as Nigeria’s powerful oil minister from twenty

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ten to twenty fifteen and was the first female president

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of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEK. Her

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tenure was immediately hit by controversy when former Central Bank

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of Nigeria CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi alleged that twenty

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billion dollars in oil revenue had gone missing under her watch.

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In May twenty fifteen, just as the administration of President

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good Luck Jonathan was handing over power to Mohammadu Buhari,

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Allison Maduek left Nigeria for London. By October twenty fifteen,

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the UK’s NCA arrested her on suspicion of bribery and

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money laundering, seizing her passport and sparking a thirteen year

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international investigation. For years, Allison Maduek’s legal team fiercely resisted

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attempts by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission E FCC

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to extradite her back to Abouja to face separate corruption charges.

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Her prolonged stay in the UK was repeatedly defended on

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critical medical grounds. Her lawyers disclosed that she was diagnosed

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with triple negative cancer, describing it as the most aggressive

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form of breast cancer over the decade. Her defense stated

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that she underwent multiple major surgeries and extensive chemotherapy treatments

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in London hospitals, leaving her at one point in a

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coma due to medical complications. These health battles, combined with

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the extreme complexity of cross border financial tracking, left her

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on continuous UK bail for eight years before she was

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formerly charged in twenty twenty three. Despite prosecutors presenting evidence

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that Boyle contractors funded her life of luxury for her

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in London, including spending two million pounds of parents, securing

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private jet flights and occupying high end properties, the case

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ultimately collapsed because the prosecution failed to meet the strict

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criminal standard of proof. The Souvig Crown Court acquitted Allison

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Maduek based on two central pillars, failure to prove direct bribery.

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The jury found that the prosecution’s evidence was largely circumstantial.

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Allison Madueke successfully argued that she maintained strict due process,

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had no direct authority over contract awards, and that any

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luxury spending cited by the prosecution was either personally reimbursed

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or fell under official state business expenses. The broken system

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and gross delays. A defense team successfully argued that the

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extraordinary thirteen year delay by British authorities ruined the fairness

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of the trial. They asserted that that passage of time,

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coupled with a broken criminal justice system, made it impossible

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for the defendants to access vital exculpatory documents and evidence

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remaining in Nigeria to prove their innocence. While acknowledging the

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independence of the British judicial system, the Ainage leadership warned

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that the collapse of such a prominent international prosecution sends

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a dangerous signal to corrupt actors across the continent. While

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Ainage respects the independence of the British judicial system and

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the verdict reached by the court, this outcome represents a

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major setback in efforts to hold politically exposed persons accountable

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and combat grand corruption. It risks emboldening kleptocratic governments, corrupt

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public officials and their enablers across Nigeria and Africa who

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continue to loot public resources with impunity, said Reverend David Yugola,

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Executive director of ain AGE. The organization noted that the

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verdict deals a heavy blow to the UK’s historical reputation

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as a leader in international asset recovery, transparency and beneficial

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ownership reforms. AINAGE expressed worry over a growing retreat by

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major Western democracies from robust action against grand corruption. Yugola

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warned that if the UK and the US take a

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back seat, prospects for ending impunity in Africa will become

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increasingly uncertain. The collapse of one of the most prominent

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corruption prosecutions involving a former African public official may weaken

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confidence in these commitments and undermine broader international efforts to

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tackle illicit financial flows at a time when corruption continues

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to fuel poverty, inequality insecurity, and democratic backside heading across Africa,

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Diminished international resolve, risk strengthening those who profit from state capture,

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and weak governance. Reverend Yugola added, a key point of

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concern for the international Human and Environmental rights watchdog ANEAGE

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is the sharp contrast between the London acquittal and established

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legal realities in Nigeria. Over the years, Nigerian courts have

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successfully ordered the forfeiture of billions of niro worth of properties,

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cash and luxury items linked directly to the former Petroleum Minister.

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Anage emphasized that these domestic recoveries secured through lawful judicial processes,

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underscore the massive scale of illicit wealth accumulated. The UK

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acquittal therefore raises difficult questions about the effectiveness of cross

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border enforcement and the capacity of international institutions to bring

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complex ground corruption cases to a successful conclusion. These recoveries

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secured through established legal channels underscore the scale of illicit

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wealth allegedly accumulated and the importance of sustained international cooperation

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in tracing, freezing, confiscating and repatriating stolen assets. The acquittal

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therefore raises difficult questions about the effectiveness of cross order

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anti corruption enforcement and the ability of national and international

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institutions to bring complex grand corruption cases to a successful conclusion.

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Hugola said AINAGE warned that the judgment could demoralize citizens,

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anti corruption agencies, whistleblowers and investigative journalists who risked their

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lives to demand transparency. However, the organization stressed that the

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verdict must serve as a critical wake up call rather

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than a deterrent. Ainage called on African governments and international

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partners to redouble their efforts by strengthening local institutions, improving

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cross border judicial cooperation, protecting whistleblowers, and closing the financial

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loopholes that facilitate illicit flows. The fight against corruption is

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ultimately about justice for citizens. It is about ensuring that

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public resources are used to improve lives rather than enrich

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a privileged few. The struggle against corruption and illicit financial

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flows remains central to achieving democracy, sustainable development, and social

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justice across Africa, Yugola said, reaffirming any j’s commitment to

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working with Nigerian and international institutions to ensure stolen public

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assets are recovered and used to improve public lives. In

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direct response to these ongoing transparency challenges and the staggering

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scale of national losses, AAGE Today June twenty third, twenty

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twenty six commenced a two day capacity building workshop in

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Abujah focused on addressing illicit financial flows IFFs in Nigeria.

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The training brings together key civil society organizations CSOs alongside

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distinguished stakeholders including SEC and AFRIC Representative Professor Abdullahi Shahu

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and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit n FIU represented by

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Chief Governance, Risk and Compliance Officer Mister Ibrahem Mohammad on

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behalf of Hafsat Abu Bakar Bakery. Representatives from the Special

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Control Unit Against Money Laundering SQML and the Economic and

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Financial Crimes Commission E FCC are also participating. In his

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welcome remarks, ainj’s Deputy Executive Director, Attacked Puleo, emphasized that

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the workshop is part of the project strengthening CSOs and

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media capacity to contribute to the fight against illicit financial

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flows in Nigeria. He highlighted the critical role of CSOs

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in advancing public accountability, citizen mobilization, budget monitoring, procurement tracking,

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tax justice advocacy, anti corruption campaigns, and policy engagement. According

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to Leo, the w workshop aims to deepen participants understanding

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of the nature, drivers, trends, and developmental impacts of IFFs,

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while strengthening their knowledge of relevant legal policy and institutional frameworks.

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It also equips CSOs with practical tools for evidence based advocacy,

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for cure and monitoring, freedom of information FOI utilization, data access,

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coalition building, and strategic institutional engagement. Delivering a goodwill message,

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Professor Abdullahi che Who noted Nigeria’s strategic importance within Africa

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and commended a NEEEDGE for its outstanding research on IFFs.

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He encouraged participants to actively engage in governance processes whold

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elected officials accountable and participate in democratic processes including voter registration.

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Representing NFIU, mister Ibraheim Muhammad reiterated the importance of understanding

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iff’s the build on financial crimes, stressing Nigeria’s significant role

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in combating illicit outflows. He underscored the need for collective

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action across sectors, noting that illicit flows can occur through

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multiple channels, including financial institutions and non profit organizations. Similarly,

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Mister Pascal Joseph Samu, who represented SQML, an arm of

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the e FCC, highlighted the severe developmental impact of IFFs,

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revealing that Nigeria has lost over seventy seven point seven

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billion dollars in the last decade, with an estimated eighteen

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billion dollars lost annually. He emphasized scum’s commitment to implementing

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beneficial ownership transparency as a key measure to curb IFFs,

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and reaffirmed institutional support for the workshop’s outcomes. The workshop

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continues with strong collaboration among stakeholders, reinforcing a collective commitment

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to combating illicit financial flows and strengthening transparency, accountability, and

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sustainable development across Nigeria.

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Speaker 2: I’m just thank Pulto God. There’s been a very very

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ideous and belong almost eleven years. It’s been traumatic for

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not just for me, but for my family, for friends,

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for all those who have stayed and support for my

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ninety three year older motherco for my son, and for

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all those who love us, friends and family. Been around

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it by friends. Yeah, you know, so it has been

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a ideally But I’ll tell you this. God will always

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do as God wills, and God will be God. God

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is not a man a mass you should lie, so

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when he promises you something, he will see it. It

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has been almost eleven years. I be I did my

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job to the best of my ability. But like I said,

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God is not a man.

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Speaker 1: That true? What is God?

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Speaker 2: And we thank you Possess Walcom Nevil brintaing Ukrainemes in

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a more digital ware