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Ex-Minister Of Petroleum, Diezani Distances Self From Ownership Of Repatriated $52.8m Loot

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A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke has distanced herself from the ownership of $52.5m recently repatriated to Nigeria from the United States of America, USA.

The former Minister who has been in the United Kingdom, UK, since she left the shores of Nigeria claimed that the money linked to her in the media as a loot actually belonged to a Nigeria’s oil magnate, Kola Aluko.

Breaking her silence in the matter through her counsel, Prof Mike Ozekhome SAN, Mrs Alison Madueke insisted that there was nothing like “Diezani Loot”, since she had no hand whatsoever in the issues surrounding the forfeiture of the money by the owner.

Stating her position, the former minister said the $52.5m came from a vessel seized by the American government from Kola Aluko and which was later sold and proceeds returned to the federal government of Nigeria.

Her denial of ownership of the money was contained in a lengthy press statement issued on Sunday by the Chambers of Mike Ozekhome SAN and titled ” There is no such thing as Diezani Loot “.

Part of the statement read “My chambers makes this intervention in the public domain as Solicitors to Diezani Alison-Madueke (DAM) ,the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, HMPR.

“As her Solicitors, we are fully versed in and conversant with her present ordeal and the entire facts surrounding her matters both here in Nigeria and abroad. So, we write from the vantage position of one that is aware of the cocktail of lies that have been spurned around her cases in the last ten years.

“Many of the narratives are outrightly false; some others sheer outlandish speculations; and most, simply bizzare stories cooked up by her traducers to extract a Shylock’s pound of flesh from her for reasons she does not know and cannot even fathom.

“This intervention therefore seeks to correct this skewed narrative and set the records straight for purposes of history. Many Nigerians often talk about wanting ‘technocrats’ to be involved in governance. They desire that people with character and integrity should join politics.

“We agree with them. However and regrettably too, now and again and many a time, the same people not only allow, but actually join the bandwagon to mob-lynch those who chose to serve the nation.

“And we often do this insidiously, covertly and overtly, even when there is no concrete or even any iota of proof that such public officers ever abused their offices or stole from public coffers.

“It is therefore surprising and of great concern to us, to see the level of sustained vilification of an innocent Nigerian citizen who has not yet been tried and found guilty of any offence known to law by any court of law whether in Nigeria or abroad. The person at the receiving end is Citizen Diezani Alison-Madueke (DAM).

“We note with concern the recent deliberate attempt to link her with what has been described as a civil forfeiture of a yacht Galactica, the sale of which was said to have yielded $52.8m to the US government; which sum has since been repatriated to Nigeria.

‘This is a clear example of the mischievous and cruel sport of tarnishing the image of the lady through a bouquet of consistent, persistent and unrelenting cocktail of falsehoods and misinformation.

“The purveyors of this line of misinformation term it “name-and-shame”. To sell the storyline, the architects ensured they attached Diezani’s name to a recovered yacht which is not in any way linked to her.

“They now falsely termed it “Diezani loot”. Nothing of the sort ever happened. She was never involved in the purchase, use and sale of the said yacht.

“The yacht Galactica, from information readily available in the public domain and in open sources, was purchased by Mr Kola Aluko who had used the vessel until he agreed to its forfeiture to the United States of America.

“The yacht Galactica was neither owned nor ever used by our client. DAM has in fact never set her eyes on the yacht. Kola Aluko is an experienced businessman who had been in business well before DAM came into office as HMPR.

“The only tenuous basis for deliberately linking DAM to the said yacht is the false narrative that the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) which were entered into between Kola Aluko & Jide Omokore’s Atlantic Energy companies and NNPC, were allegedly corruptly awarded to the said companies by DAM. DAM was not the GMD of the NNPC as so did not and could not have awarded the said contracts.

“We plead, as her lawyers, with all and sundry that she be accorded fair hearing and that the process of these UK court proceedings be allowed to take their natural course to avoid prejudice to her in the ongoing subjudice UK proceedings against her.

”Those purveyors and peddlers who habitually spin these outrightly false, unfounded, defamatory, unintelligent and indefensible narratives to denigrate and humiliate her should please find better use of their time and leave DAM alone.

“Let the law take its natural course without interference. We humbly pray”, the statement said.

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Wike Begins 6-Council “Thank-You” Tour In FCT

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has begun a thank-you visit to the six area councils of the territory, over the outcome of the Feb. 21 area council elections in the FCT.

The visits, which began with Bwari Area Council on Tuesday, according to the Minister, is to thank the people for keeping to their promises to support President Bola Tinubu’s candidates in the election.

“So, on behalf of Mr President, let me thank you all for fulfilling the promise you made, that you will support the candidates that are supporting him to win.

“Mr President said I should thank you and that he is not going to take this show of love for granted. He will also fulfill his own part, and that will be done through me.

“Some people don’t understand when we say agreement—what is agreement? When we agree on something, you do your own part, I do my own. That means we have fulfilled the agreement,” he said.

The Minister said that the time has come for politicians to keep to their promises, stressing that under Tinubu’s administration “we will give Bwari the necessary support”.

He promised to work closely with the council’s Chairman-elect, Mr Joshua Ishaku saying, “anything you ask through Joshua, consider it done”.

He thanked the traditional leaders in the area and promised to do everything possible to give them their due honour and respect.

In his remarks, Ishaku thanked Wike for the visit and for the good job he was doing for Tinubu.

Describing Wike as a “humble father”, Ishaku assured the Minister that Bwari Area Council would leave no stone unturned in supporting the restoration of the Renewed Hope Agenda in 2027.

“As you assured us yourself, we can see, we can feel and we can touch the developmental strides you have recorded just within two years of your assumption into office.

“What more can we say? What more can we ask for? This is indeed what governance is all about,” Ishaku said.

(NAN)

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MDCN Panel Suspends Euracare Director, Two Doctors After Establishing Negligence In Death Of Chimamanda’s Toddler

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The Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel has invoked its order of suspension against the Medical Director of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Dr. Tunde Majekodunmi, and two others, after establishing a prima facie case of medical negligence against them in the management of the 21-month old son of renowned writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nkanu Adichie-Esege.

Nkanu passed away on January 7, 2026, after receiving care at Atlantis Hospital and undergoing medical procedures at Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Lagos.

Channels TV reports that apart from the Medical Director at Euracare, the panel also suspended the anesthesiologist at the same hospital, Dr. Titus Ogundare, as well as the Chief Medical Officer at Atlantis Pediatric Hospital, Dr. Atinuke Uwajeh.

In a statement signed by its secretary, Dr. Enejo Abdu, the panel mentioned that the trio are suspended from medical practice in Nigeria pending the determination of their case by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

The panel also stated that there is a prima facie case of misconduct in a professional respect against 10 other doctors. They are Dr. Adeseye Akinsete, Dr. Chidinma Ohagwu, Dr. Anthony Ajeh, Dr. Amarachi Bayo, and Dr. Nkechi Peji. Others are Dr. Olaoye Oludare, Dr. Agaja Oyinkansola, Dr. Patricia Akintan, Dr. Babatunde Bamgboye, and Dr. Raji Faidat.

The panel, which also cleared 8 other doctors, reached these decisions after considering the complaint against all 21 doctors and reviewing their counter-affidavits, including their oral depositions on oath.

The panel concluded its investigation at its 25th session held at Excel Hotel & Resort in Abuja on Feb 17th & 18th, 2026,

The 21-month-old child, Nkanu Adichie-Esege, was initially admitted to Atlantis Hospital in Lagos for what was described as a worsening but initially mild illness.

While arrangements were being made to transfer him to Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, Atlantis referred him to Euracare for pre-flight diagnostic procedures, including an MRI, lumbar puncture, and insertion of a central line.

However, the child passed following the procedures.

His parents have alleged medical negligence and professional misconduct in connection with his death.

 

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DSS Detains Five Airport Officers Over El-Rufai Security Breach

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Following a joint investigation into a security breach at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, five security officers have been arrested.

The arrests are coming weeks after security operatives attempted to arrest El-Rufai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on February 12, 2026, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt, aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877.

It was gathered that suspects and are set to face prosecution.

The arrests followed a joint investigation conducted by the Department of State Services, DSS, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation.

Those detained include ASP Ayuba Yakubu of the Nigeria Police Force, Murtala Inuwa of the DSS, Najeeb Murtala of the Immigration Service, and Aviation Security personnel Musa Adamu and Salihu Victor.

According to AIT, investigators disclosed that the suspects allegedly admitted to receiving bribes to grant unauthorised access to restricted sections of the airport and to interfere with lawful security procedures.

Authorities described the development as a grave insider breach of critical national infrastructure.

The suspects have since been transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC) for prosecution.

Meanwhile, additional Immigration and Customs personnel who were found to have misused their official uniforms to facilitate unauthorised access but were not deemed criminally liable will face internal disciplinary measures.

According to the authorities, the action reflects zero-tolerance to internal compromise within Nigeria’s aviation security system.

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