Diezani Alison-Madueke is receiving treatment for cancer in the United Kingdom, her lawyer told SaharaReporters on Thursday.
Mr. Oscar Onwudiwe said in a statement written exclusively for SaharaReporters that the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, who was arrested last week in London on corruption-related offences, began the treatment for cancer in the UK while she was in office.
Although he did not say what form of cancer she was diagnosed with, he added, “The health crisis has unfortunately exacerbated in recent times.”
For most of her tenure in Petroleum, Mrs. Alison-Madueke was the subject of unflattering investigations by the media, some of them reporting her lavish champagne-and-chartered jet lifestyle. She was also the subject of investigations in the federal legislature, but she continued to deny being involved in any corrupt deals. She was reportedly trying to be trying to buy a luxury mansion in one of Britain’s most exclusive locations last week when she was arrested.
SaharaReporters exclusively reported in May that Mrs. Alison-Madueke somehow booked herself on the same London-bound flight of then President-elect Muhammadu Buhari. During the First Class flight, she repeatedly tried to strike up a conversation with Buhari, who ignored her, according to reliable sources in the cabin. She has not returned to Nigeria since fleeing the country only a few days before President Buhari’s inauguration.
It was reported at about the same time that the outgoing Petroleum Minister had said she was in the United Kingdom to receive medical treatment for cancer.
In his statement, Mr. Onwudiwe said that her client underwent chemotherapy last week and is scheduled to undergo surgery next week. SaharaReporters could not independently confirm those statements.
Alison-Madueke was arrested along with four other people on Friday October 2nd by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) for bribery and money laundering.
The agency confirmed her arrest. It further noted that she paid her bail and was released. On Monday this week at the Westminster Magistrates Court, the NCA said that it had also detained 27,000 pounds sterling from her.
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