Nigeria’s House of Representatives has approved an investigation into the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over alleged violations and disregard of Nigeria’s judicial pronouncements, as well as the malicious inclusion of billionaire businessman Benedict Peters’ name in offences that Nigerian and UK Courts have vindicated him of.

The resolution of the Parliament followed a petition against the attack on Nigeria’s judicial sovereignty, with the continued wrongful inclusion of Benedict Peters in the indictment charge against Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. 

The petition, laid by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources, Downstream, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, at the resumption of plenary Wednesday, sought urgent legislative action to preserve and respect judicial pronouncements and to remove Benedict Peters from all pending fabricated allegations.

In the petition, he noted the continued persecution and malicious inclusion of the name of Africa’s billionaire businessman and philanthropist Mr. Benedict Peters in the ongoing criminal trial of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as contained in the charge sheet in R. v. Diezani Alison-Madueke, with URN No: 01NB1110815 and Compass ID: 16267145 dated 10th August, 2023 as maliciously been done to injure the reputation of a reputable and successful billionaire businessman and steal his hard earned assets.

The petition also noted a disturbing pattern of judicial disregard, violation, and disrespect for judgments of various courts in Nigeria, which have exonerated Benedict Peters of any criminal indictment, both in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

It states that Mr. Peters had been judicially vindicated and cleared of any allegation relating to unlawful ownership, acquisition or dealings with respect to the alleged provision of financial reward to Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke in return for favour in the award of crude oil contracts; ownership and acquisition of property known as 5 Parkview, 83-86 Prince Albert Road, St. John’s Wood, London NW8 7RU; ownership and acquisition of property known as Flat 58 Harley House, Marylebone Road London NW1 5HL and ownership and acquisition of property known as Flat 270-17th Street, Unit #4204, Atlanta, Georgia 30360L etc.

It, therefore, urged the House of Representatives to safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian judicial process, orders, and judgments, and deference to the judicial sovereignty, as well as to forestall the ongoing plot to misuse the English justice system to perpetrate injustice on innocent Nigerian citizens like Mr. eters, a pan-African philanthropist, investor, and promoter of faith. 

The petition read in parts, “It is with a deep sense of urgency and the need for a swift legislative action against the continued disregard, disrespect and malign of judgment of courts in Nigeria despite the due enactment of the Foreign Judgment (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act, 2004 that we the Africa Centre for Defense of Justice and Judicial Process hereby petitions the House of Representatives and the Speaker of the House of Representative concerning the continued persecution and malicious inclusion of the name of Africa’s Billionaire Businessman and Philanthropist Mr. Benedict Peters in the ongoing criminal trial and prosecution of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as contained in the charge sheet in in R. v. Diezani Alison-Madueke, with URN No: 01NB1110815 and Compass ID: 16267145 dated 10th August, 2023 as well as a distressing pattern of judicial disregard, violation and disrespect of judgments of various courts in Nigeria exonerating Mr. Benedict Peters of any criminal indictment both in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

“We wish to bring to your attention the fact that Mr. Peters had been judicially vindicated and cleared of any allegation relating to unlawful ownership, acquisition or dealings with respect to the alleged provision of financial reward to Mrs. Diezani Alisson- Madueke in return for favour in the award of crude oil contracts; ownership and acquisition of property known as 5 Parkview, 83-86 Prince Albert Road, St. John’s Wood, London NW8 7RU; ownership and acquisition of property known as Flat 58 Harley House, Marylebone Road London NW1 5HL and ownership and acquisition of property known as Flat 270-17th Street, Unit #4204, Atlanta, Georgia 30360L etc, thereby rendering the continued inclusion of the name of Mr. Peters in the indictment/Charge legally reprehensible.

“However, in a letter of 18th July, 2025, Mrs. E. C. Davies, the Special Prosecutor, Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate – Regional and Wales Division, sought to justify the inclusion of Mr. Peters in Counts 2 and 3 of the indictment because “Nigerian Courts which attempts to bind the CPS or individuals acting for the CPS in relation to proceedings in the UK is ultra vires” and “a breach of the UK’s sovereign jurisdiction”. 

“The above constituted an unwarranted deviation from the earlier position of the CPS in its letter of 7th May, 2025, wherein it expressly admitted that, based on additional information available to it, the restraint order in respect of Mr. Peters and his companies “should be varied to remove” them from the restraint order. These actions by the UK authorities are an unacceptable weaponisation of the criminal justice system and totally negate the fundamental need for a just and fair treatment of human persons in line with international standards. 

The entire circumstances of this case warrant an immediate amendment of the indictment in accordance with Section 5(1) of the Indictments Act of 1915 to remove and/or strike out the name of Mr. Benedict Peters from the indictment. It is imperative to note that all the allegations against Mr. Peters, upon which his name is continued listed or included in the pending Charge against Mrs. Diezani Madueke, had been judicially determined and resolved in his favour. In effect, Mr. Peters has been judicially vindicated and cleared of every allegation of commission of any offence, crime, malfeasance, or breach by Courts of competent jurisdiction regarding all the accusations for which the UK authorities had acted. Importantly, the Judgments of the Nigerian Courts must be accorded reciprocal respect, acceptance, and recognition by all authorities or States, including the United Kingdom, particularly over persons and entities subject to Nigerian law, as in this case. This aligns with global best practices. For instance, Article 2(1) United “Nations Charter, which provides that all States are equal in sovereignty, and this supposes that the United Kingdom authorities, such as the CPS and NCA, should not disregard Nigerian Courts’ judgments or seek to override the Nigerian State in respect of matters within its sovereign jurisdiction. This has also been codified in the United Kingdom under Section 1(1) of the State Immunity Act 1978, which states that a foreign State is immune from the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom authorities, except otherwise provided.

“Orders/Judgments of courts of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria are not mere paper statements, but they are effective and binding. They must be enforced and respected by all persons and authorities, including the United Kingdom. No Government or authority has the power to disregard the orders/judgments of the Nigerian court, except the Nigerian Government, which may accord regard to the judgment of the UK Courts. It is expedient that the House of Representatives, under your good offices, make it abundantly clear that the judicial sovereignty of Nigeria, as provided in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended), is not negotiable and must be respected and reciprocated by all authorities worldwide. It is therefore illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional for authorities of the United Kingdom to openly undermine, disregard, and treat with utmost odium, opprobrium, scorn, disdain, ridicule, or contempt, orders/judgments of the Nigerian Courts, which have totally exonerated Mr. Peters on all the issues touching on or related to the distinct charge against Mrs. Diezani Madueke. We trust that the House of Representatives will treat this issue of National importance as a priority, thereby reinforcing the strong and respectful bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.”

The House of Representatives, after hearing the petition, unanimously referred it to the Parliament committee on Public Petitions to investigate through a public hearing and report back to the Parliament within four weeks for further legislative action. The British Crime Agency, the CPS, the EFCC, the AG, Mr. Benedict Peters, or his Representatives will be invited to the Hearing.