Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied media reports claiming that she begged president Bola Tinubu to allow her to return to Nigeria.
A viral report had quoted Alison-Madueke as saying that she granted a recent press briefing in London and admitted that she embezzled money from Nigeria during her time as the Petroleum minister.
The report also claimed that the former minister alleged that she entrusted nine billion Dollars to the incumbent Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.
The media added that Diezani, who is said to be battling cancer, is now appealing to President Tinubu to allow her to return to the country and confess to her financial wrongdoing during her time in office.
It said the former minister expressed her willingness to provide detailed information about the funds she allegedly misappropriated while in power.
The newspaper that reported the fake interview has since pulled down the story.
However, in a statement she personally signed on Sunday, December 24, Alison-Madueke denied granting a recent interview in London, saying that the media report is false, concocted, and an attempt to impugn her character.
The former minister also refuted the interview where she allegedly indicted the current Zamfara Governor and pleaded to return to the country.
“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,” she said.
Read also:
EFCC Takes Down Post Quoting Diezani’s Money Laundering Discussions