Diezani is being prosecuted by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) after the agency indicted her
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke has asked Nigerians to pray for her after showing up in court for the multi-million-pound bribery and corruption charges levelled against her by the United Kingdom government.
Speaking to members of the Nigerian community in the UK after the hearing on the fifth-floor courtroom, the former minister said: “I need prayers. Please pray for me,”
Diezani was recently indicted by the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) and she is being protected for receiving bribe.
A top lawyer who flew from Nigeria to represent his client in the case, Benedict Peters, said after the hearing that “the case is weak and won’t fly.”
Also speaking to journalists about the case in front of the court, Emeka Ozoani (SAN) argued that “they, NCA, have spent five to six years investigating the case and are trying to justify what they’ve done with taxpayers’ money.
“l came to represent one of those linked to the case.”
When asked if he flew from Nigeria just for the hearing, the SAN replied: “Yes. I came because of my client.”