Former Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of bribery charges by a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London, marking a dramatic end to a high-profile corruption trial that lasted several years.
The jury on Wednesday cleared Alison-Madueke of all six charges brought against her after more than 46 hours of deliberations.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as petroleum minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, had faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She consistently denied all allegations throughout the proceedings.
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British prosecutors alleged that the former minister received what they described as “a life of luxury” in London from oil and gas executives seeking favourable treatment and lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
The prosecution claimed the benefits included expensive accommodation, chauffeur-driven vehicles, private flights, luxury gifts and other lavish hospitality.
However, Alison-Madueke maintained during the trial that she neither accepted bribes nor possessed the authority to influence the award of government contracts in the manner alleged by prosecutors.
The former minister, who also served briefly as President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), told the court she was being unfairly targeted and insisted her relationships with business figures were legitimate.
The acquittal represents a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into corruption allegations linked to Alison-Madueke began more than a decade ago following her departure from office in Nigeria.
Also acquitted were oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, 69.
Ayinde had been charged with one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and another count involving the alleged bribery of a foreign public official. Agama faced a conspiracy to commit bribery charge connected to payments allegedly made to his church.
Both men denied wrongdoing throughout the trial, and the jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges against them.
The verdict is expected to generate reactions in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria, where Alison-Madueke has remained one of the most controversial figures associated with Nigeria’s oil industry and anti-corruption investigations.
Her tenure as petroleum minister was frequently criticised by opposition figures and anti-corruption campaigners, while several investigations into alleged financial misconduct linked to the oil sector were launched in different jurisdictions after she left office.
Despite the acquittal in the UK criminal trial, the case had already drawn international attention due to its implications for anti-corruption efforts involving politically exposed persons and the global oil industry.