The League of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria (LOLPON) on Thursday raised serious concerns over what it described as evidential inconsistencies, procedural gaps and fair trial issues in the ongoing United Kingdom trial involving former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the group said its intervention was based strictly on legal principles and not political considerations, insisting that the former minister remains innocent until proven guilty.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, LOLPON National Secretary, Priscilla Makoshi Marcus, said the group conducted a “detailed legal review” of the proceedings currently before the UK court and found what she termed “significant concerns” regarding the foundation of the prosecution’s case.
“Our intervention today is neither political nor sentimental. It is rooted strictly in law, evidential standards, procedural fairness, and internationally recognised principles of justice,” she said.
The legal body stressed that despite years of allegations and public scrutiny surrounding the former minister, no court has yet established guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
“At the centre of this matter lies a simple but fundamental legal principle,” the group stated. “Every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
LOLPON argued that the case presently before the London court is narrower than the wider public narratives that have trailed the former minister over the years.
According to the group, the proceedings mainly concern alleged benefits connected to accommodation, travel logistics, school fees and related expenses, rather than broader allegations about Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
“It is important to distinguish between public mythology and the actual scope of the live proceedings,” the group said.
The association further contended that criminal liability cannot be proven through “public perception, recycled media narratives, or political assumptions,” but only through “admissible, credible, and internally consistent evidence.”
The lawyers’ group also questioned aspects of the prosecution’s evidence, particularly issues surrounding alleged reimbursements, missing documents and chain of custody discrepancies.
“Critical documents, including reimbursement records, diaries, invoices, and related materials allegedly removed during searches conducted in Abuja in 2015, are absent from the evidential record,” the group said.
It added that the absence of such materials weakens efforts to conclusively determine responsibility for some of the disputed expenses.
LOLPON also expressed concern over testimony relating to seized materials allegedly recovered during investigations.
“The court reportedly heard evidence that Nigerian investigators initially documented two bags of seized materials, only for three bags to later emerge during evidential review without satisfactory explanation,” the organisation stated.
According to the group, such inconsistencies raise legitimate concerns about “reliability, completeness, and evidential integrity.”
The organisation further cited contradictions involving Westminster Cars reimbursements, Harrods purchases and ownership of certain luxury properties allegedly linked to the case.
It argued that legal ownership and payment trails remain central to determining criminal liability.
“The relevant legal question is not whether expensive items existed, but who paid for them, who owned the destination properties, and who exercised legal control over those assets,” the statement added.
LOLPON also faulted what it described as weaknesses in witness reliability, claiming that some prosecution witnesses altered or clarified earlier positions during cross examination.
“One witness reportedly acknowledged that parts of his statement were drafted using language introduced by investigators rather than his own independent recollection,” the body said.
The association equally raised concerns over what it described as prosecution errors within the indictment, including reported “cut and paste” mistakes involving financial figures.
On the issue of prolonged legal restrictions, LOLPON noted that Alison-Madueke was arrested in October 2015 and has remained substantially restricted within the UK for more than a decade without conviction.
“The prolonged withholding of travel documentation and effective restriction of movement for over a decade without final judicial determination raises legitimate questions under international fair hearing standards,” the lawyers stated.
The body described as “particularly distressing” reports that the former minister has been unable to properly attend to her aged mother.
While acknowledging that no individual is above the law, LOLPON said the former minister’s past record in public service should not be ignored.
It noted that Alison-Madueke was the first female President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Conference, describing the achievement as evidence of “substantial international confidence” in her leadership abilities.
The group also alleged selective prosecution, noting that some individuals allegedly connected to the disputed transactions were not currently standing trial before the London court.
“The position of the League of Legal Practitioners of Nigeria is therefore clear: Justice must be evidence based. Justice must be proportionate. Justice must be procedurally fair,” the organisation declared.
LOLPON subsequently called on relevant authorities to ensure that the proceedings remain within “the bounds of law, fairness, due process, and internationally recognised standards of justice.”
