Breaking: Court strikes out fraud charge against Diezani

A Federal high court in Abuja has struck out one out of the Nine counts of $1.6 billion crude oil fraud leveled against Former Minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Jide Omokore and five others.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba struck out the eight-count after hearing an application filed by Diezano, claiming that she was indicted in the court but not allowed to properly defend herself.

Accused in the case include, Omokore, his two companies, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.

Other defendants are a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Victor Briggs; a former Group Executive Director, Exploration, and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Abiye Membere; and a former Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC, David Mbanefo and the former Petroleum Minister, Alison-Madueke.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had instituted nine counts of criminal diversion of about $1.6bn alleged to be part of proceeds of sales of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government, against Omokore and six others.