Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all bribery charges brought against her by British prosecutors following a lengthy corruption trial in London.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on six counts, including five allegations of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Alison-Madueke had consistently denied all allegations throughout the proceedings.
The former minister, who served under President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015 and was once president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), had been accused of receiving luxury benefits from oil and gas industry figures seeking business advantages in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Prosecutors alleged that she enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle funded by individuals pursuing lucrative contracts linked to the country’s petroleum industry. However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised the level of influence over contract awards alleged by investigators.
After more than 46 hours of deliberations, the jury found her not guilty on all charges.
The verdict marks a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into allegations involving the former minister spanned more than a decade.
Also cleared of all charges was oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who had faced allegations relating to bribery involving Alison-Madueke as well as a separate charge of bribing a foreign public official.
In addition, Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, was acquitted of conspiracy to commit bribery over allegations linked to payments made to his church.
Both men denied wrongdoing throughout the trial and were found not guilty by the jury.
The case attracted international attention because of Alison-Madueke’s prominent role in Nigeria’s oil industry and the broader scrutiny of corruption allegations within the country’s energy sector.
With the acquittal of all three defendants, the high-profile proceedings have come to a close after years of investigation and legal battles in the United Kingdom.
