Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, told Southwark Crown Court in the UK, on Monday that she had “tried to push back on corruption” in a country she said had been plagued by it since the colonial era.

“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort from these persons and did not abuse my office,” she told the court. “I always sought to act impartially.”

Prosecutors allege that several Nigerian businessmen bankrolled extensive spending on her behalf, including more than £2 million at luxury department store Harrods and £4.6 million on refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire.

She is also alleged to have had access to a £2.8 million home in Marylebone and multi-million pound residences overlooking Regent’s Park.

Alison-Madueke told the court that the costs of services provided during her official duties were later repaid by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

She said a service company was established in London to manage logistics because the NNPC’s financial structure was in disarray.

“They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she said.

On the Buckinghamshire property, the former minister said her family stayed at the house over Christmas 2011 because her ex-husband required hospital treatment and could not travel back to Nigeria. She said she played no part in arranging the stay. A second visit, lasting more than two weeks, was used to write a book honouring the Nigerian president’s record on women’s empowerment. “I took it upon myself to put together that book to showcase what he did for women,” she said.

She told the court that a property overlooking Regent’s Park was used for discreet official meetings, while another property she is accused of using was undergoing extensive renovations and was unusable when she visited.

Regarding a flat in St John’s Wood, where she and her mother stayed with rent covered by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko, Alison-Madueke said she had proposed the arrangement as a more cost-effective alternative to paying £2,000-a-night rates at hotels such as the Savoy and Dorchester.

She also told the court she was unaware at the time that one of her chauffeurs had delivered £100,000 in cash to her, saying the money had nothing to do with her.

The court heard how Alison-Madueke rose swiftly through the ranks at Shell, becoming the first senior female executive in its Nigerian operation — a role she said she initially resisted because of the company’s treatment of her father, a tribal leader who had once taken legal action against Shell over what she described as “apartheid practice in West Africa.”

She also expressed frustration with the company’s response to oil spills in the Niger Delta, the region her family came from, saying she did not believe enough had been done to address the damage caused.

On her personal security, she described Nigeria as a “very patriarchal society” where having a woman in a leadership position was “a major no no,” adding that she had faced serious kidnapping threats and that family members had been seized.

In 2015, Alison-Madueke became the first woman elected to lead the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

She denies five counts of accepting bribes and one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery. Also on trial is oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who denies one count of bribery and one count of bribing a foreign public official.

Her brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, denies conspiracy to commit bribery.

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The Federal Parliament, comprising the Lower House and the Upper House, had until 14 April 2026 for its four-year term.

The opposition group Himilo Qaran, led by former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has declared that it was unfortunate that the term of the parliament has ended and that the country’s state-building process is at risk.

“Himilo Qaran urges that the only solution today is to safeguard the country and reach political consensus agreed upon by all,” said a statement issued today by Himilo Qaran.

The Somali parliament leadership remained tight-lipped on the end of the term.

However, last month, Speaker Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe announced that following a change to the federal constitution, the parliament will remain for another one year.

A term extension of one year is being pushed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the parliament, according to the opposition alliance the Somali Future Council.

The office of the Somali president did not comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, former president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo warned against a term extension for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, saying it could risk a crisis in the country.

Somalia is facing a security crisis as the terror group Al-Shabaab continues to advance into major rural towns, including those closer to Mogadishu, while the federal government’s security forces are entangled in internal conflict with regional states.

In late March, federal forces backed by clan militia seized the town of Baidoa — the seat of Southwest State — forcing the regional leadership to flee to neighbouring Kenya.

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The national emergency, originally declared on April 12, 2010, under Executive Order 13536, was introduced in response to the deteriorating security situation in Somalia, including persistent violence, piracy off its coast, and violations of a United Nations arms embargo.

Additional measures were later introduced through Executive Order 13620 in 2012, targeting key issues such as the export of charcoal—seen as a major funding source for the militant group al-Shabaab—the misuse of Somali public assets, and violence against civilians.

In the latest extension signed on April 8, President Trump stated that the situation in Somalia continues to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security and foreign policy.

The extension, issued under the National Emergencies Act, keeps existing sanctions and related measures in force until at least April 12, 2027.

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President Hassan Sheikh, with 38 days remaining in his term, is said to be preparing a new offensive targeting Gedo region in Jubaland, where Villa Somalia is reportedly planning to unilaterally conduct its own elections.

The camp where the militias and Gorgor forces are being gathered is located on the road leading west towards Bardaale.

The militias currently in Baidoa are equipped with weapons and vehicles supplied by Turkey and Egypt.

The South West administration withdrew from Baidoa last week after being forced out of the city, which had served as the seat of the South West administration for more than 14 years.

THE GEDO OFFENSIVE

Well-placed sources have told Kaab TV that Villa Somalia’s plan is to wrest the entire Gedo region from Jubaland’s control, particularly Doolow district, which Jubaland currently administers.

Sources added that Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s plan is to complete the capture of Gedo region and install a hastily arranged election before April 20th.

Reports indicate there is military movement in the direction of Doolow district, where Jubaland-aligned administration and forces are currently stationed.

Additionally, sources based in Kismayo have told Kaab TV that Jubaland is conducting military preparations in Lower Jubba region, the area where Jubaland retains its strongest presence.

Apart from limited areas in Lower Jubba and Doolow district in Gedo region, the remaining areas of Jubaland are controlled by Al-Shabaab, while the districts of Luuq, Garbaharey and Beledhawo — previously taken from Jubaland — are now home to clan militias aligned with the Federal Government of Somalia.

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Al-Shabaab fighters entered Balcad district and seized the police station and the town centre, where they remained for approximately one hour before withdrawing.

Eyewitnesses reported that a brief exchange of fire took place at the police station, with the resident troops fleeing the scene.

Al-Shabaab militias had previously been present on the outskirts of Balcad and along the road connecting Jowhar and Balcad, which they control and where they collect money from vehicles at checkpoints.

Balcad is located 38 kilometres from Mogadishu.

No statement has been issued by the federal government or the Hirshabelle administration regarding Al-Shabaab’s brief seizure and subsequent withdrawal from Balcad district.

This attack, in which Al-Shabaab temporarily took control of Balcad, comes as large numbers of troops — including Turkish-trained forces and clan militias — have been deployed to Baidoa, where the federal government seized control from the South West administration the previous week.

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The two victims, who were employed by a local non-governmental organisation, were shot dead and their bodies set alight, according to General Mahad Abdirahman, a former Somali police custodial corps commander who also led the Southwest police command in Baidoa.

Speaking in an interview with a Nairobi-based Somali journalist on Saturday, General Mahad laid blame squarely on the militia forces and Somali federal government troops who entered Baidoa following the takeover.

“They were killed because they were Harin clan,” he said.

“Their bodies were burned with gasoline poured on them by the militia.”

General Mahad claimed that the killings took place inside a house belonging to Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe, Speaker of the Somali Federal Parliament’s lower house.

Aden Madobe had not responded to the accusations at the time of publication.

The Somali federal government has also yet to comment on the reported killings.

Chaos Follows Baidoa’s Fall

Baidoa descended into turmoil on Monday after federal forces completed their takeover of the city, prompting Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen to flee.

He departed for Nairobi, Kenya on a chartered flight along with his closest leadership circle and family members.

A local journalist in Baidoa told Kaab TV that the two young men were captured by militia allied to Somali government forces on Monday before being executed.

General Mahad, himself a close relative of Laftagareen, said he had spent nearly a week under house arrest in Mogadishu before being released after federal forces took full control of Baidoa.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term expires in mid-May, travelled to Baidoa on Friday to begin consultations on forming a new administration for the region.

His arrival was immediately overshadowed when Al-Shabaab fired mortar rounds at Shaati Gaduud Airport as his plane landed, in what appeared to be a direct attempt on his life.

No casualties among the presidential party were reported.

The post Two Men Shot Dead and Bodies Burned in Baidoa Following Federal Takeover, Somali General Says appeared first on Kaab TV.

President Abdiaziz Hassan “Laftagareen” shared a statement on X titled “Escalating Military Actions in Southwest State Risk Civil War and Humanitarian Catastrophe.”

The statement highlights that political disputes are being pursued through military force rather than constitutional processes, placing the country on a dangerous path.

It notes that Somali National Army forces, many trained and supported by international partners, are now being deployed against Southwest State. Specifically:

Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, and the United States – These countries have historically trained, advised, and supported Somali National Army forces, which are now reportedly being used for internal political objectives rather than counterterrorism.

Egypt – Provided light and heavy weapons intended for fighting Al Shabab; these are reportedly being diverted for use in internal conflict.

These development comes amid rising tensions between Mogadishu and Southwest State authorities, as political disputes over electoral processes and constitutional amendments have shifted from dialogue to military confrontation.

The Federal Government has deployed Somali National Army (SNA) forces, including elite units and regional militias, whom the SWS officials say that many are drawn from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s own clan, to cities and towns across Southwest State.

“At the same time, light and heavy weapons donated by the Government of Egypt for the fight against Al Shabab are reportedly being used in this internal conflict,” the statement adds.

“This diversion of resources comes as large parts of Bakool and Lower Shabelle, including Tiyeglow, Rabdhoore, Kurtunwaarey, and Sablale, remain under Al Shabab control, raising serious concerns about national priorities. There are also growing indications that these actions are part of a broader political strategy to weaken the federal system, including efforts to detach Lower Shabelle from Southwest State.”

Local communities widely perceive these deployments as a clan-driven attack, sharply escalating tensions. Large parts of Bakool and Lower Shabelle remain under Al Shabab control, raising concerns that resources are being misused while ongoing counterterrorism challenges persist.

The statement also warns of federal attempts to weaken the Southwest State, including potential detachment of Lower Shabelle and centralized control over oil and gas concessions with Türkiye.

As the statement warns: “The consequences of inaction will be severe, not only for Southwest State, but for the stability of Somalia as a whole.”

It calls on the international community to act before the crisis triggers mass displacement and a humanitarian catastrophe.

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Interviews conducted by Kaab TV with several individuals seeking rulings from the Al-Shabaab-run sharia court — all of whom requested anonymity — reveal that between 160 and 200 people visit the site each month.

The makeshift court sits along the banks of the Shabelle River, between Basra village and Cali Mahdi’s farm, roughly 35 km from Mogadishu.

One Mogadishu resident, identified only as Client Number 256, said people bring a wide range of cases to the court, including divorce, child-support disputes, land and property conflicts, unpaid debts, and inheritance cases.

We assigned that number because he was the 256th person to seek justice at the court a few weeks earlier.

“I went there because of a dispute over contested land. We waited three weeks for an appointment, and then we were called and went to the sharia court,” he said.

The court sits two days a week in a secluded area shaded by large trees and surrounded by banana and mango plantations — a location chosen to avoid detection from surveillance drones.

In the past, U.S. drones have targeted Al-Shabaab leaders, and more recently, Turkey has deployed drone units to support Somali forces in regions including Lower and Middle Shabelle.

Around the site, makeshift low-cost hotels built from huts, tea stalls, small restaurants, and three-wheeled taxis cater to those awaiting their hearings, offering food, lodging, and transport.

The Al-Qaeda-affiliate group, which is fighting to topple the federal government in Mogadishu, has also expanded into the outskirts of Afgooye and the fringes of Mogadishu, where it increasingly operates openly and extorts money from businesses in the name of zakat.

“Al-Shabaab uses threats and violence”

Halima (not her real name) told Kaab TV she travelled from Mogadishu to file a complaint against her former husband, who took their young child after their separation. She turned to the Al-Shabaab court after, she says, the government-run Banadir Regional Court failed to address her case.

“I complained many times to the district court where I live, then I went to the Banadir Regional Court. They did nothing for me. The man I separated from harmed me a lot,” Halima said.

Corruption in Mogadishu’s courts and police system leaves many low-income people — especially those from marginalized clans — without access to justice.

Halima said her neighbours informed her that the Al-Shabaab sharia court had resumed operations and that many Mogadishu residents were now going there.

“A neighbour told me that if I went to the Al-Shabaab sharia court, they would solve my case because people fear them,” she said. “Al-Shabaab uses threats and violence. That is what the people fear about.”

She now says her case was resolved in her favour and that her child has been returned to her.

Al-Shabaab, designated a terrorist organisation, is known for its use of intimidation. Many people report receiving phone calls from court representatives — commonly referred to as enforcers — who follow up on rulings and often use threats of violence to ensure compliance.

Defying the group’s decisions is extremely difficult. There is no appeals process and no defence lawyers in the Al-Shabaab court.

Although attendance at the courts had dropped between 2022 and 2024 after Al-Shabaab shut them down due to military operations by Somali government forces, the group appears to have reactivated its judicial network.

The number of Mogadishu residents seeking verdicts there has been steadily rising, sources in Mogadishu told Kaab TV.

This increase reflects both a surge in clients and a growing number of disputes, particularly land cases and complaints from residents forcibly evicted from government-owned and privately owned properties by the Somali authorities.

Some clan elders in Mogadishu have reportedly approached Al-Shabaab with grievances related to forced evictions. Intelligence sources stated the group has pledged to help return land to displaced families.

Several businesspeople who purchased land previously occupied by evicted families have reportedly received warning calls from Al-Shabaab ordering them not to build on those plots.

Afgooye district, under South West State administration, hosts police and intelligence units of the Federal Government of Somalia.

Attempts to obtain comment from Afgooye authorities and local police were unsuccessful.

The Federal Government of Somalia has also not responded to questions regarding the Al-Shabaab court operating on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

(Mohamed Bulbul contributed to this story)

The post Evictions and Corruption Drive Mogadishu Residents Into Al-Shabaab’s Parallel Court System appeared first on Kaab TV.

The delegation was led by General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and Ambassador Justin Davis, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy.

Their visit was described as “strategic,” as U.S. officials increasingly view Somaliland as a potential partner in safeguarding Red Sea and Horn of Africa security.

General Anderson emphasized Somaliland’s importance, noting its position near key maritime routes.

He highlighted that closer collaboration would support broader regional stability efforts.

According to a statement from the Somaliland presidency, President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro told the delegation that Somaliland is prepared to “fully cooperate with the U.S. Government to strengthen regional security and enhance the prevention of growing threats,” including major-power competition in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, as well as the activities of destabilizing armed groups.

After meeting with President Irro in Hargeisa, the U.S. delegation inspected Berbera Airport, Berbera International Port, and the coastal areas around the port city.

Despite operating as a de facto independent state for more than three decades, Somaliland remains internationally unrecognized.

Washington has long viewed access to Berbera as strategically valuable, particularly amid concerns about Chinese intelligence activities in Djibouti, where the U.S. maintains its only permanent military base in Africa.

Somaliland has repeatedly invited the U.S. to establish a presence at the Berbera military base in hopes of strengthening ties and advancing its push for international recognition.

Wednesday’s statement from Hargeisa reiterated that link.

“The President of Somaliland noted that the security and strategic interests of the United States in East Africa are genuinely tied to the recognition of Somaliland, given that Somaliland is a country with a functioning democratic system, national forces that have secured its borders for more than 30 years, and a location vital to the American strategy of regional stability,” the presidency said.

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The two media professionals, Ms. Mouna Mohamed Hoch, a journalist, and Bouh Youssouf Walieh, a cameraman, were reportedly detained on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

According to a statement released by RADDE, Ms. Hoch and Mr. Walieh were arrested at their respective homes by “dozens of masked police officers without a warrant.”

The program, “Speak Up About Your Rights,” was initiated by RADDE and has gained significant traction by providing a platform for citizens to “denounce a deprivation of rights, an infringement of freedoms, or any other abuse.”

In a country where RADDE claims the media landscape is “completely controlled” by the state (citing only one radio station, one television station, and one newspaper, all state-owned), the citizen-led program quickly became a unique space for expression.

“This citizen-led program has been widely shared on social media and has generated considerable enthusiasm. It quickly went viral due to the poignant testimonies it has brought to light,” the opposition group stated. The content is published across RADDE’s Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok channels.

RADDE argues that the arrests constitute a “serious violation of press freedom, freedom of expression, and the right of citizens to be informed and to bear witness.” The detentions occurred just as the program was “gaining visibility and giving a voice to citizens deprived of any other media outlet.”

The party issued a strong demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Mouna Mohamed Hoch and Bouh Youssouf Walieh.

A halt to attempts to intimidate journalists and human rights defenders.

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