Oscarline Onwuemenyi
21 September 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, struck out a charge involving Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, in the trial of her associate, Mr. Jide Omokore.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had brought an eight count charge of fraud to the tune of $1.6 billion against Omokore.
Alison-Madueke was named in the eighth count of the fraud charges, but the judge struck out the charge.
This was after he heard an application filed by the former minister that she was named in the case without fair hearing. She claimed that the EFCC did not give her an opportunity to defend herself.
Omokore is facing trial alongside Victor Briggs, former managing director of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Corporation (NPDC), including some former directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the companies linked to him.
Alison-Madueke, who is reportedly under treatment for cancer in the United Kingdom, has been named in several corruption and embezzlement cases in Nigeria.
She is named in the Malabu Oil case which is before a Federal High Court in Abuja. A number of property linked to her have also been seized by the government.
She has also been named in a multi-million dollar fraud case involving her associate, Mr. Kola Aluko, in the US.
