Nigeria has reportedly withdrawn former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, from the witness list in the corruption trial of former petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke currently taking place in the United Kingdom.
Sources familiar with the proceedings said Bawa had been scheduled to appear as a key witness in the case at Southwark Crown Court in London. However, he was later removed from the list despite reportedly arriving in the UK ahead of his expected testimony.
According to insiders, the decision followed concerns that Alison-Madueke’s defence team was preparing to challenge Bawa’s credibility during cross-examination.
The defence was said to be planning to scrutinise Bawa’s time as EFCC chairman, including allegations that he was previously detained and compelled to return large sums of foreign currency and two properties located in Abuja.
Sources indicated that such questioning could have weakened the prosecution’s case if Bawa’s credibility was successfully undermined in court.
“The anticipated line of questioning was expected to portray Bawa as compromised, raising fears that his testimony might not hold up during cross-examination,” one source familiar with the proceedings said.
Efforts to contact Bawa for comment were unsuccessful. Calls to his mobile phone reportedly did not go through, and messages sent via WhatsApp were not answered at the time of filing the report.
The trial itself has drawn significant attention following the presentation of audio recordings allegedly retrieved from a Samsung phone belonging to Alison-Madueke. Prosecutors say the recordings reveal personal conversations between the former minister and businessman Kola Aluko, who is suspected of involvement in money laundering linked to the case.
In one of the recordings played in court, Aluko reportedly reassures Alison-Madueke of his loyalty after she complained about leaks within their inner circle. Another conversation, reportedly recorded in 2014, shows the former minister warning Aluko about his lavish public lifestyle and appearances with celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, saying such behaviour could attract attention from intelligence agencies.
Prosecutors also referenced discussions about the purchase of the $80 million Galactica Star yacht, suggesting Alison-Madueke advised Aluko to lease the vessel instead of buying it to avoid scrutiny.
At another point in the recordings, Alison-Madueke allegedly warned that she would “escort all of you to jail along with myself,” a statement prosecutors argue reflects the depth of the alleged conspiracy.
The former minister, who once served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under former president Goodluck Jonathan, is standing trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, both of whom also face bribery charges linked to the case.