Ijaw women urge restraint in Diezani’s bribery case

A former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, on Monday called for restraint and due process regarding ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom involving former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Koripamo-Agary said the case should be allowed to proceed through the courts without external influence or interference, stressing the importance of respecting judicial processes.

Alison-Madueke, who served as Minister of Petroleum Resources under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, is currently facing trial in the UK over allegations connected to the awarding of Nigerian oil contracts.

She is being tried alongside her brother, Doye Agama, 69, and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54. Agama has denied allegations of conspiracy to commit bribery involving his church, while Ayinde has pleaded not guilty to charges that include bribing a foreign public official.

Speaking on behalf of the Ijaw Women Advocates for Justice at a press briefing in Abuja, Koripamo-Agary said the group’s stance was rooted in defending justice, not individuals.

The group stated that its members across the Ijaw Nation and diaspora had followed developments carefully, avoiding speculation and premature conclusions.

They said their intervention was guided by a sense of responsibility to justice and to Alison-Madueke as a member of the Ijaw community.

The group said, “We, the Ijaw Women Advocates for Justice, across the Ijaw Nation and diaspora, have watched unfolding events with vigilance, restraint, and clarity.

“We have observed, refusing to be drawn into noise, speculation, or premature judgments. We speak now, not out of impulse, but out of responsibility, both to justice and to one of our own, a daughter of the Ijaw Nation, Diezani Alison-Madueke.”

It noted that its position was not intended as either a defence or condemnation of any individual, but rather a call for adherence to established judicial processes.

The advocates said, “Let it be clearly stated: we are not here to defend or condemn any individual. We are here to defend principles. The ongoing proceedings in the United Kingdom must remain exactly what they are: a judicial process, not a public spectacle.

“We reject the growing tendency to try individuals in the court of public opinion while legal processes are still underway. That path undermines justice itself.”

The group also cautioned against what it described as growing attempts to try individuals in the court of public opinion while legal processes are still ongoing, warning that such tendencies could undermine justice.

“Every individual, regardless of position, past office, or public perception, is entitled to a fair hearing, due process, and the presumption of innocence. These are not privileges, they are rights,” the women’s group added.

They also referenced the professional background of Madueke, noting her past roles in the oil and gas industry and international energy governance, while insisting that such history should not be used to prejudice current proceedings.

Reaffirming their position, the group said they stood for justice and fairness while rejecting what they described as sensational reporting and public trial by media.

“As Ijaw women, we stand in solidarity, not to shield wrongdoing, but to insist that justice must be done properly, lawfully, and without prejudice.

“We caution against media sensationalisation, selective narratives, and the weaponisation of public opinion. Justice must not be shaped by headlines,” they added.

The advocates reiterated their core message, urging that legal processes be allowed to run their course without interference or premature conclusions.

“Let the courts do their work. Let evidence speak where it belongs, and let no individual be condemned before judgment, nor absorbed outside the law. We stand firm in solidarity with our sister. We stand firm for justice, for fairness, for dignity, for the honour of Ijaw women and Ijaw nation,” they stressed.