Worried by flurry of media reports trailing the ongoing trial of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources , Mrs Diezani Alison – Madueke in the United Kingdom , Ijaw women Monday in Abuja frowned at spectacle being made out of the trial by some media outfits here in Nigeria.
Madueke based on alleged bribery and corruption, established against her by National Crime Agency (NCA) , was penultimate week, dragged to the Southwark Crown Court in London for prosecution by the UK based anti – corruption agency.
Apparently disturbed by the way the trial is being celebrated in the media here in Nigeria, some Ijaw women under the auspices of Ijaw “Women Advocates for Justice,” kicked against sensationalism being attached to reports on the judicial proceedings.
Briefing journalists at the Abuja residence of Ambassador Godknows Igali, the Ijaw Women led by Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, said they were not out to shield wrongdoing, but to insist that justice must be done properly, lawfully and without prejudice.
“We caution against media sensationalism, selective narratives and the weaponisation of public opinion. Justice must not be shaped by headlines,” they said.
“Let it be clearly stated: We are not here to defend or condemn any individual.
“We are here to defend principle. The ongoing proceedings in the United Kingdom must remain exactly what they are: a judicial process, not a public spectacle,” they added.