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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has opposed former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke’s application seeking to present evidence of her acquittal by a United Kingdom court in her ongoing asset forfeiture case in Nigeria.
In a further counter-affidavit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the EFCC urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to dismiss Diezani’s application, arguing that the UK proceedings and her subsequent acquittal were not relevant to the issues before the Nigerian court.
The commission maintained that the Southwark Crown Court proceedings concerned a separate criminal case that was not prosecuted before a Nigerian court and had no bearing on the substantive suit challenging the forfeiture and proposed sale of assets linked to the former minister.
Diezani had sought the court’s permission to introduce the UK judgment after she was acquitted on June 17, 2026, of bribery-related allegations following her trial in London.
Her legal team argued that the acquittal constituted a significant subsequent development, particularly in relation to questions surrounding conviction, due process, fair hearing and the legality of the forfeiture of her assets.
The EFCC, however, contended that the application introduced facts that were immaterial to the substantive issues before the court and urged Justice Ekwo to discountenance the supplementary affidavit.
The court has fixed November 11, 2026, for hearing of the pending motions in the case.
