Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke says she has retained “documents” that will prove her innocence amid ongoing legal efforts by authorities to secure her return to face corruption charges, according to a statement shared Thursday.
Diezani, who has not been seen publicly in Nigeria for years, said she was ready to vindicate herself if afforded the chance, but suggested that Nigerian authorities have not taken sufficient steps to locate her.
“I kept documents that will prove my innocence to the satisfaction of any court of competent jurisdiction,” she said in a video statement posted online, adding there was “nowhere in Nigeria I cannot be found if the government is serious”
The controversial former minister and ex-PDP chieftain, once one of the most powerful figures in Nigeria’s oil sector, has been at the centre of multiple corruption investigations spanning over a decade. Federal authorities have repeatedly sought her extradition from the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions where she has resided.
Diezani did not specify the nature of the documents she claims to hold nor clarify where they are stored, but said they would demonstrate her compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks during her tenure in government.
Her refusal to return to Nigeria has frustrated anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which have secured a series of court orders for her arrest in absentia.
In a separate comment, a senior government source who asked not to be named said authorities were reviewing Diezani’s claims but insisted that legal processes must be followed.
“If she has evidence, she should present it through proper legal channels. We are open to due process,” the source said.
Diezani’s tenure at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which included oversight of Nigeria’s state oil company, was marked by aggressive policy shifts but also persistent allegations of undue enrichment and contract manipulation — accusations she has long denied.
