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I Did Not Grant Interview to Anyone, Stories Attributed to Me Fake – Diezani Alison-Madueke

Published

2 years ago

December 24, 2023

Eric

A former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied granting an interview in London recently where she allegedly indicted the current Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.

A newspaper had reported that the ex-minister, who served during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, spoke with journalists in London during which she begged to be allowed to return home.

Mrs Alison-Madueke fled Nigeria in 2015 and has been in the United Kingdom (UK). She faces corruption charges in Nigeria and the UK.

The purported London interview sparked diverse reactions with Mr Lawal’s allies saying the reports were to disparage him.

The newspaper that reported the fake interview has since pulled down the story.

An unverified screenshot has also been in circulation alleging that the EFCC amplified the controversial publication on it’s Instagram account. This newspaper has yet to independently verify the allegation.

In a bid to confirm the veracity of the report, PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Mrs Alison-Madueke.

The former petroleum minister, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, described the report as “fake” and “concocted.”

“I did not grant an interview to anyone and therefore did not say any of the things attributed to me. It is fake news concocted for reasons I do not know,” Mrs Alison-Madueke told PREMIUM TIMES in the brief interview Saturday evening.

In the earlier viral interview, Mrs Alison-Madueke was reported to have implored President Bola Tinubu to permit her to return to Nigeria “to confess to her financial misconduct during her tenure.”

The newspaper reported that Mrs Alison-Madueke spoke to the press in London after a medical visit, and “expressed her readiness to disclose details of the funds she allegedly misappropriated while in office.”

The newspaper quoted the former minister as saying, “I am now a born-again Christian and currently grappling with the second stage of cancer, for which my United Kingdom-based physician has advised me to continue medication for the rest of my life. Yes, no one is flawless, but sometimes, God Almighty permits such occurrences.

“I’ve been accused of financial misconduct during my tenure as the petroleum minister, and it’s true. However, I would like President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to forgive me, allow me to return home, and contribute because life is transient…”

Mrs Alison-Madueke, however, told Premium Times that she did not grant the interview and that she did not say any of the things that were credited to her.

In its reaction, the EFCC also denied authoring the post on its Instagram handle

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, told The Punch, “The report is not from the EFCC. Anything that is not signed by me is not from us (the EFCC).”

Source: Premium Times

Headline

Defence Gulps Lion Share As Tinubu Presents N58.47trn 2026 Budget to NASS

Published

5 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has presented a budget of N58.47 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly, with capital recurrent (non‑debt) expenditure standing at N15.25 trillion.

Tinubu presented the budget on Friday, pegging the capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and putting the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He said the expected total revenue is N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure: N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion for debt servicing. The budget is N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28% of GDP.

The budget was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

In terms of sectoral allocation, defence and security took the lion’s share with N 5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure at N3.56 trillion.

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Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.