Alison-Madueke: Nigerian Govt, EFCC Owe Citizens Explanations — Sambo

The Director of News at Arise Television, Sumner Sambo, has called on the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to provide Nigerians with a detailed explanation regarding the outcome of the long-running corruption case involving former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Sambo made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking on Prime Time, a current affairs programme on Arise Television.

His comments followed the decision of a London court to discharge and acquit Alison-Madueke of all charges brought against her after more than a decade of legal proceedings and investigations.

The former minister, who served under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, had faced allegations of corruption and bribery for several years. Her case attracted widespread attention both in Nigeria and abroad, with various investigations conducted into her activities while in public office.

Reacting to the development, Sambo said Nigerians deserved to know why the case ended in acquittal after years of public claims, investigations and reported recoveries linked to the former minister.

According to him, it was encouraging that Alison-Madueke had maintained her innocence throughout the legal process and was ultimately able to secure a favourable judgment.

However, he stressed that government agencies involved in the matter owe citizens a clear account of what transpired.

“The Federal Government and the EFCC owe Nigerians an explanation of what really happened,” Sambo said during the programme.

He noted that authorities had, at different times, informed Nigerians about the recovery of assets and valuables allegedly linked to the former minister.

According to him, questions now arise about how the matter evolved and why the final outcome differed from the expectations created during the years of investigation and prosecution efforts.

“This is the same case in which they previously informed the public that they had recovered certain assets and valuables. They now need to clarify what has changed and why the outcome appears different,” he stated.

Sambo further argued that transparency was necessary to strengthen public confidence in anti-corruption efforts and ensure accountability in the handling of high-profile cases.

He added that Nigerians deserve to know whether all relevant evidence was properly presented to the British authorities and whether there were factors that influenced the court’s eventual decision to acquit the former minister of all charges.