Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all bribery charges brought against her by British prosecutors after a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was cleared of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The former minister had consistently denied all allegations throughout the trial.
British prosecutors alleged that Alison-Madueke received lavish benefits from oil and gas industry executives seeking favourable treatment and lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
According to the prosecution, the former minister enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle in London funded by several Nigerian businessmen, including more than £2 million spent at Harrods and approximately £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
The prosecution also alleged that some of the expenses were paid using cards linked to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and his company, Tenka Limited.
However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised direct control over the award of government contracts during her tenure.
She told the court that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) reimbursed expenses incurred on her behalf during official engagements and explained that a logistics company was established in London to manage official arrangements due to administrative challenges within the organisation.
“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 told the court during the trial.
After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury found her not guilty on all six counts, bringing to a close one of the most closely watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official.
Alison-Madueke was one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s oil industry and also served as president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) between 2014 and 2015.
She stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced charges related to alleged bribery involving the former minister.
Despite her acquittal in the United Kingdom, Alison-Madueke continues to face multiple corruption cases in Nigeria, some of which have stalled due to her absence from the country.
Nigerian courts have also ordered the forfeiture of assets worth billions of naira linked to the former minister.
The verdict represents a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into Alison-Madueke’s activities spanned more than a decade.
