Former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all six bribery charges brought against her in a high-profile corruption trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court ,after years of long probe.
The 65-year-old, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She consistently denied all allegations.
Prosecutors had alleged that Alison-Madueke enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in London funded by oil and gas industry figures seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria. However, she maintained that she neither received bribes nor wielded influence over the award of government contracts.
After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on all six counts.
The acquittal marks a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into corruption allegations involving the former minister began over a decade ago.
Also cleared were oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced bribery-related charges, and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, who was accused of conspiracy to commit bribery over alleged payments linked to his church. Both men denied the allegations and were acquitted alongside her.
Alison-Madueke also previously served as President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, becoming one of the most prominent figures in Nigeria’s oil sector.
Court clears Diezani of all bribery Charges after
