Ovation publisher Dele Momodu releases picture of Diezani recovering from cancer

FORMER petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has released a picture of herself recovering from cancer in London in an interview she granted Ovation publisher Dele Momodu during which she denied stealing a kobo of Nigeria's money.

 

Last month, Ms Alison-Madueke was arrested at her west London home by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and taken to Charing Cross Police Station, where she was quizzed for several hours. She was later released on bail to appear in court where an injunction was obtained to seize £27,000 from her and she was asked to deposit her passport with the court.

 

Despite her troubles Ms Alison-Madueke, who has taken up residence in the UK since May when she left office, has claimed she is unwell and according to her family, she has undergone successful surgery for cancer. Yesterday, she met with Ovation publisher Dele Momodu, who released photos of her in the inaugural issue of a brand new tabloid titled Boss magazine.

 

Last week, Mr Momodu devoted his weekly column in Thisday newspaper to relating his experience meeting with the seriously sick former minister in the UK. His column created controversy on social media, with many readers accusing the columnist cum celebrity publisher of helping to launder Ms Alison-Madueke’s image.

 

Many critics were of the opinion that Mr Momodu’s brief was to garner public sympathy for the embattled former minister, who is the focus of money laundering investigations in the UK as well as Nigeria. In a follow-up to his interview, yesterday, Mr Momodu released the text of an interview with Ms Alison-Madueke along with photos, which are a far cry from the usual ones which show the former minister as a radiant and energetic person. 

 

His pictures have failed to convince many critics, however, who claim that the images could have been photo-shopped in order to curry public sympathy. Ms Diezani has consistently maintained that she is innocent of all the charged levelled against her, maintaining that she did not touch a penny of Nigeria's money while in office.

Britain has promised to return all Nigeria's looted funds from any convicted public servant who is found guilty of corruption by a UK court of law in the light of the recent arrest of Ms Alison-Madueke. She has been barred from leaving the UK until April next year to avoid her absconding from the country pending the determination of corruption charges against her.