Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, appeared in a London court on Monday, ahead of her full trial on bribery charges related to her tenure as oil minister.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) alleges she accepted bribes worth at least £100,000 ($134,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, and luxury holidays for her family, in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.
The 65-year-old, who served as minister from 2010 to 2015, has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015. She denies six charges against her. The trial, scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026, is expected to last 10-12 weeks.
Alison-Madueke’s case is part of a broader investigation into corruption involving Nigerian officials.
The NCA has frozen assets worth millions of pounds linked to her alleged offences and provided evidence to the US Department of Justice, leading to the recovery of $53.1 million in assets.
