…urge respect for due process, presumption of innocence

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — Women under the aegis of Ijaw Women Advocates for Justice (IWAJ) have called for fair hearing, due process and adherence to the rule of law in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in the United Kingdom.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the group said the court proceedings at the Southwark Crown Court in London should remain strictly judicial and not be influenced by public opinion or media narratives.

Speaking on behalf of the group, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, said the women were not taking sides but were advocating for justice to take its proper course.

She stressed that every individual is entitled to fair hearing, due process and the presumption of innocence, which she described as fundamental legal rights.

Koripamo-Agary said the group was concerned about what it described as increasing attempts to try individuals in the court of public opinion while formal legal proceedings are ongoing.

“As Ijaw Women, we stand in solidarity; not to shield wrongdoing, but to insist that justice must be done properly, lawfully and without prejudice,” she said.

She added that media sensationalism, selective reporting and efforts to shape public opinion around ongoing cases should be discouraged, noting that justice must be determined strictly on the basis of evidence.

The group also noted that Alison-Madueke’s past roles in the private sector and public office should not translate into automatic condemnation or immunity, but rather be considered within the framework of fairness and legal process.

According to them, the ongoing case before Justice Thornton at Court 8 in Southwark Crown Court must be allowed to proceed without interference.

Other members present at the briefing included Dame Julie Donli (OON), Princess Rosemary John-Oduone, Dr. Stella Ayamara Dorgu, and Chief Dr. Duenize Ogon.

The group reiterated its position that no individual should be condemned before judgment or absolved outside the law, calling for restraint in public commentary on the case.