Diezani Alison-Madueke accuses UK authorities of destroying her reputation after acquittal
via Punch Nigeria4 min read
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has accused UK authorities of damaging her reputation through a corruption prosecution that spanned over a decade. Alison-Madueke, who was acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London, stated in a BBC interview that the 13-year investigation and prosecution by the UK's National Crime Agency was "painful and traumatic." She served as Nigeria's petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 and was the first female president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Alison-Madueke claimed the case prevented her from traveling and working, and took a significant psychological toll. She was first arrested in 2015 but not charged until 2023. Prosecutors had alleged she received benefits from oil businessmen. Alison-Madueke suggested that documents supporting her defense, including receipts for reimbursed payments, went missing from her Abuja residence in 2015, taken by Nigerian intelligence forces. She criticized both Nigerian and British authorities for their handling of the case, advocating for greater caution in politically sensitive matters and suggesting she may have been targeted due to her position in a "misogynistic society." A National Crime Agency spokesperson stated that their investigation was "long-running, in-depth and complex," regularly reviewed, and conducted impartially, with a comprehensive file presented to the Crown Prosecution Service. Alison-Madueke also addressed previous asset
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Haiti and T眉rkiye have been knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage after suffering defeats on Friday. In Philadelphia, Brazil secured a 3-0 victory over Haiti in Group C, with goals from Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Jr. This result leaves Haiti at the bottom of Group C with zero points from two matches, ending their chances of advancing. Their final group game against Morocco on June 24 will be a dead rubber. In Group D, T眉rkiye experienced a narrow 1-0 defeat to Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Matias Galarza scored the fastest goal of the tournament so far, netting after just 64 seconds. Despite late pressure and a red card for Paraguay, T眉rkiye could not find an equalizer. This loss leaves T眉rkiye with two defeats from two games and no points, confirming their elimination with one match remaining. Haiti returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, while T眉rkiye's campaign ended prematurely.
The United States secured a spot in the World Cup's last 32 after a 2-0 victory over Australia. An own goal by Cameron Burgess and a header from Alex Freeman sealed the win for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who have now advanced with a game remaining. Australia's coach Tony Popovic attributed the loss to "lethargy." In other matches, Brazil defeated Haiti 3-0, eliminating the Caribbean nation from contention. Matheus Cunha scored two goals and Vinicius Junior added another for Brazil. However, Brazil's victory was overshadowed by an apparent injury to Raphinha. Morocco achieved their first tournament win, beating Scotland 1-0 with a goal from Ismael Saibari. Brazil and Morocco are now level on points in Group C, with Brazil leading on goal difference. Scotland's John McGinn acknowledged the challenge of their upcoming match against Brazil. Off the field, Hedayat Mombeyni, secretary general of the Iranian football federation, criticized Iran's treatment at the World Cup, stating that travel restrictions were jeopardizing the team's performance. Iran's request to fly from Tijuana to Los Angeles two days before their match against Belgium was reportedly denied.
Must ReadAustralia's Agriculture Minister Julie Collins announced the first detection of the H5 strain of bird flu in the country, found in a migratory brown skua in remote Western Australia. This confirms the highly contagious variant has now spread to every continent. Samples from a giant petrel also showed a suspected positive result. Collins stated that while disappointing, this was not unexpected given the global spread of H5 bird flu, and there is currently no evidence of mass mortalities or infection in poultry. An emergency meeting of animal health and agriculture officials has been held to plan a national response. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern and indicated the government would take measures to contain the disease, noting its spread via migratory birds globally. The H5 strain has caused severe disease and high death rates in poultry, wild birds, and some mammals worldwide. Australian scientists recently reported that the H5 bird flu strain killed over 13,000 elephant seal pups on a sub-Antarctic island, an Australian external territory.