For the umpteenth time, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, a former minister of petroleum resources, has denied allegations that Diezani Alison-Madueke, one of his predecessors, bribed him. Diezani Alison-Madueke is presently on trial for bribery in a British court.
When the story first surfaced in October 2023, Kachikwu initially denied having any knowledge of or connection to Diezani or her allies.
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy had allegedly told jurors at London’s Southwark Crown Court that, after former President Goodluck Jonathan was succeeded by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Ayinde paid a “substantial bribe” to Kachikwu to guarantee her buddy continued to work in the NNPC.
Kachikwu expressed his displeasure with this development yesterday, saying, “My attention has again been drawn to this recurring allegation and for the last time, I want to put it on the record that there is no truth to the allegation whatsoever.”
“I used everything I had, including my own resources, to serve our country. I have disputed this claim time and time again and this time, for the last time
“It’s unfortunate that a British lawyer would rely on hearsay in court to malign anyone and damage their hard earned reputation. I am reproducing my 2023 reaction to the dramatic but wholly false accusation for the benefit of those who did not notice my previous response.
The reaction in 2023:
Kachikwu: Diezani and her ally never offered me a bribe.
Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, a former minister of petroleum resources, denied Wednesday that Diezani Alison-Madueke, one of his predecessors, had bribed her. Diezani Alison-Madueke is presently being tried for suspected bribery in a British court.
Kachikwu disapproved of certain recent stories, first from The Cable, an online website, which said he was included in the ongoing bribery case against Alison-Madueke in London. Kachikwu thought the report’s bias was cruel.
Kachikwu and a few others were named in the criminal charges against Alison-Madueke, who was charged with accepting bribes in the form of cash, luxury goods, private jet flights, and the use of upscale properties in Britain in exchange for awarding oil contracts, as Cable had exclusively reported.
“Kachikwu was bribed in August 2015 with the intention of influencing his capacity as a foreign public official,” according to the Cable story, which purported to have seen the court proceedings.
In response, Kachikwu said, “I refer to the publication carried by some online media channels indicating that I was mentioned in the charges brought against Deziani Alison-Madueke and others in a London magistrate court.”
“According to the publications, the said charge alleged that I was bribed to induce me to possibly confer some potential business advantage on one of the accused. I would want to declare that I never met any of the accused before, during, or after my public service term, and that neither a bribe nor any commercial favors were given to any of the accused during my tenure.
“I was not involved in any attempt to bribe me through anyone, and I did not receive any offers or favors from them.”