Nigeria has reportedly withdrawn former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, from the witness list in the ongoing corruption trial of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the United Kingdom.
Sources familiar with the proceedings disclosed that Bawa had initially been scheduled to testify as a key witness in the case before he was later removed from the list.
According to one of the sources, Bawa had already travelled to the United Kingdom ahead of the trial before the decision was taken to withdraw him from appearing in court.
The move reportedly followed concerns that Alison-Madueke’s defence team planned to aggressively challenge Bawa’s credibility during cross-examination.
A source close to the court proceedings said the defence intended to scrutinise Bawa’s tenure as EFCC chairman, including allegations that he was previously detained and allegedly compelled to return large sums of foreign currency as well as two properties in Abuja.
“The line of questioning was expected to portray Bawa as compromised, raising fears that his testimony could be significantly weakened during cross-examination,” the source said.
Nigerian authorities were therefore said to have removed him from the witness list to avoid weakening the prosecution’s case against the former oil minister.
Attempts to reach Bawa for comment were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile lines did not go through, while WhatsApp messages and calls sent to him had not been answered as of the time this report was filed.
Meanwhile, the corruption trial of Alison-Madueke at the Southwark Crown Court in London has taken another dramatic turn after prosecutors presented audio recordings allegedly linking her to suspected money launderer and billionaire businessman Kola Aluko.
The recordings, retrieved from a Samsung phone belonging to the former minister, were played in court and reportedly contained emotional and personal conversations between the two.
In one of the recordings, Aluko was heard reassuring Alison-Madueke of his loyalty, telling her he was “loyal like a dog” after she expressed concerns about leaks within their inner circle.
Another recording from May 2014, referred to in court as the “Playboy Lecture,” captured Alison-Madueke criticising Aluko for his extravagant lifestyle and public appearances with celebrities.
“As far as everybody’s concerned, you’re a playboy,” she reportedly told him, warning that such behaviour could attract the attention of intelligence agencies monitoring their activities.
During the conversation, Alison-Madueke also questioned Aluko’s purchase of the $80 million Galactica Star yacht, reportedly advising him to lease such luxury assets rather than buy them outright in order to maintain discretion.
Prosecutors further highlighted another recording in which Alison-Madueke allegedly issued a strong warning, saying: “I will be happy to escort all of you to jail along with myself… let us see who survives, me or you.”
The prosecution described the exchange as evidence suggesting a “suicide pact” between individuals allegedly involved in a major corruption scheme.
However, Alison-Madueke has denied all charges, maintaining her innocence.
The former president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is currently facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Alison-Madueke, now 65, served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
