Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all six bribery charges brought against her by British prosecutors following a lengthy trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, ends a high-profile corruption case that had been under investigation by UK authorities for more than a decade.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, had faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Prosecutors alleged that the former minister enjoyed “a life of luxury” in London, funded by oil and gas executives who were allegedly seeking lucrative petroleum contracts in Nigeria. The prosecution claimed the lavish lifestyle formed part of a corrupt arrangement involving the award of government contracts.
However, Alison-Madueke consistently denied receiving any bribes, maintaining that she had no direct influence over the allocation of oil and gas contracts. She also rejected claims that gifts or benefits she received were linked to any official decisions made while in office.
After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury at Southwark Crown Court returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on all six counts against the former minister.
The acquittal marks a significant setback for British authorities, who launched their investigation into the former OPEC president over allegations of corruption more than ten years ago.
Also standing trial was oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who was accused of one count of bribing Alison-Madueke and another count of bribing a foreign public official. Ayinde denied both allegations.
Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, 69, was likewise charged with conspiracy to commit bribery over alleged payments made to his church. He also pleaded not guilty.
The jury acquitted both Ayinde and Agama of all charges alongside Alison-Madueke, bringing the closely watched trial to an end.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015 and briefly held the position of President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), becoming the first woman to lead the organization.
The UK trial attracted widespread attention in Nigeria and internationally because of Alison-Madueke’s prominent role in the country’s oil sector and longstanding allegations of corruption that followed her tenure in office.
