Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of all bribery charges brought against her by British prosecutors after a jury at a London court returned not-guilty verdicts on Wednesday.
Mrs Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was acquitted of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
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The former minister, 65, had consistently denied the allegations.
Prosecutors alleged that Mrs Alison-Madueke received lavish benefits and enjoyed what they described as “a life of luxury” in London, funded by oil and gas industry figures seeking favourable treatment and lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
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They argued that the benefits were provided in exchange for influence over government decisions and contract awards.
However, the former minister had maintained throughout the trial that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised direct control over the award of government contracts.
Following more than 46 hours of deliberations, jurors at Southwark Crown Court found her not guilty on all six counts, Reuters reported.
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The verdict represents a major setback for British authorities, whose investigation into corruption allegations involving the former minister began more than a decade ago.
Mrs Alison-Madueke was one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s oil industry during her tenure and also briefly served as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
She stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faced one count of bribery relating to Ms Alison-Madueke and another count of bribing a foreign public official.
The court’s decision brings to a close one of the most closely watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official.
Background
The former minister was standing trial over allegations of corruption, having been charged in 2023 with five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
UK prosecutors say the charges are linked to the awarding of oil and gas contracts during her tenure as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015.
Mrs Alison-Madueke also served as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries between 2014 and 2015. She relocated to the United Kingdom after the defeat of the People’s Democratic Party in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election. She also faces multiple corruption cases in Nigeria, some of which have stalled due to her absence.
Nigerian courts, however, have ordered the forfeiture of assets worth billions of naira linked to her.
In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigerian oil contractors opulently funded Mrs Alison-Madueke’s lavish UK lifestyle.
Prosecutors allege that several Nigerian businessmen funded lavish expenses on her behalf, including more than £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million spent on refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
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According to the prosecution, some of the purchases were made using payment cards linked to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and his company, Tenka Limited.
The case also includes allegations that she had access to luxury properties, including a £2.8 million home in Marylebone and residences overlooking Regent’s Park, as well as a “grand” home in Buckinghamshire.
During her court appearance, the former minister denied all allegations. Mrs Alison-Madueke told the court that the NNPC reimbursed expenses incurred on her behalf during official engagements.
“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort… and did not abuse my office,” she said during one of her court hearings, according to BBC.
She explained that a logistics company was set up in London to handle official arrangements because of what she described as a disorganised financial structure at the NNPC at the time.
The verdict announced on Wednesday marks a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into the former minister’s activities spanned more than a decade.
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