Lagos - Nigeria's former oil minister Diezani
Alison-Madueke will strongly contest corruption
allegations against her once she has recovered
from breast cancer treatment, her family's
lawyer told AFP on Friday.
Oscar Onwudiwe said the 54-year-old's
immediate priority was her health. She had gone
through chemotherapy and had been preparing
for surgery when she was caught up in the
corruption probe, he said.
"Once she is feeling better she will come out and
say, 'bring the questions, bring them on'. She's
that confident," he added.
Onwudiwe, who said he has known Alison-
Madueke and her husband's families for more
than 30 years, earlier issued a statement on
their behalf, slamming what he called "media
hysteria" over the case.
"For the avoidance of doubt, the family would
like to state categorically that it has no issues
with any persons from the family being invited
anywhere in the world to answer questions about
their private or official conduct," the statement
said.
International corruption
"The Madueke family believes in law and order,
honour and due process. However, it is clear that
here is a deliberate and vicious campaign to
demonise members of the Madueke family with
all manner of frivolous allegations."
Onwudiwe added: "It is worth emphasising that
Mrs Alison-Madueke was never arrested or
detained and her passport was never seized. She
was merely invited and she honoured it
promptly."
Britain's National Crime Agency announced last
Friday it had arrested five people in London on
suspicion of international corruption, without
naming those detained.
The suspects were released on conditional bail.
The Nigerian government confirmed Alison-
Madueke's arrest on Monday and said law
enforcement agencies in Abuja were
collaborating with the British counterparts on the
matter.
Wider crackdown of corruption
A court official at Westminster Magistrates Court
in central London earlier said police had been
granted permission to retain 27 000 ($41 000) in
cash seized during her arrest.
Alison-Madueke - the first woman to be oil
minister in Nigeria and the first female
president of the global oil cartel OPEC - has been
dogged by allegations of corruption during her
tenure.
In February 2014, the former governor of
Nigeria's central bank claimed the state-run
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
had failed to remit $20bn in revenue.
Then-president Goodluck Jonathan removed the
governor, Lamido Sanusi, in a move many saw as
politically motivated.
Alison-Madueke, whose husband is a former
chief of naval staff in Nigeria, has repeatedly
denied any wrongdoing.
Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari has
begun a purge of the NNPC as part of a wider
crackdown on corruption, ordering a review of its
finances and sacking the entire board.
AFP
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