Ozekhome Refutes Claims of Diezani Owning $52.8m Assets
Mike Ozekhome, the legal counsel representing former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, has vehemently denied claims that his client was involved in acquiring the $52.88 million Galactica assets, including a luxury superyacht. Ozekhome described the allegations as a “false narrative” designed to tarnish Alison-Madueke’s reputation through persistent misinformation.
In a statement, Ozekhome refuted claims linking Alison-Madueke to the Galactica Star yacht, asserting that her name was merely attached to the luxury assets to sell a misleading story. “The yacht was neither owned nor ever used by our client,” Ozekhome stated. He further emphasized that Alison-Madueke “has never set her eyes on the yacht.”
The controversy stems from a March 2023 announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the resolution of two civil cases involving the forfeiture of luxury assets linked to Alison-Madueke and her associates. The U.S. government accused Alison-Madueke, alongside Nigerian businessmen Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, of using illicitly awarded oil contracts to purchase high-end properties in California, New York, and the Galactica Star yacht.
Also Read: FG Secures $52.88 Million in Recovered Assets Linked to Diezani
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister from 2010 to 2015, has been embroiled in multiple legal battles over alleged corruption during her tenure. In January 2024, a historic asset return agreement between Nigeria and the United States saw the repatriation of $52.88 million linked to the Galactica assets. Nigerian authorities confirmed that the funds would be used for development projects, including rural electrification and counter-terrorism initiatives.
Ozekhome clarified that Kola Aluko, a businessman with extensive experience in the oil and gas sector, was the true owner of the Galactica yacht. According to Ozekhome, Aluko had acquired the yacht before Alison-Madueke’s appointment as minister, and her role was limited to the final approval of contracts, not their awarding. “The only tenuous basis for deliberately linking DAM [Diezani Alison-Madueke] to the said yacht is the false narrative that the Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) were corruptly awarded,” Ozekhome argued. He explained that as Minister of Petroleum Resources, Alison-Madueke’s responsibility was limited to approving contracts that had already undergone due diligence by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Ozekhome also pointed to a federal high court ruling in Abuja that affirmed the legitimacy of the Strategic Alliance Agreements between NNPC and Aluko and Omokore’s Atlantic Energy companies, dismissing claims of corruption.
The senior advocate expressed frustration over the ongoing “false, unfounded, defamatory” allegations against Alison-Madueke, highlighting the need for fairness and due process in her ongoing legal battles. He urged those spreading the accusations to cease their harmful campaign and allow the legal proceedings in the UK to unfold without prejudice.
“We plead, as her lawyers, with all and sundry that she should be accorded fair hearing and that the process of these UK court proceedings be allowed to take their natural course,” Ozekhome concluded. “Let the law take its natural course without interference.”
