Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been found not guilty of all corruption-related charges brought against her in the United Kingdom, bringing to a close one of the most closely watched international legal cases involving a former Nigerian public official.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court, where Alison-Madueke had been standing trial on six counts linked to alleged bribery offences.
The former minister, who oversaw Nigeria’s petroleum sector between 2010 and 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, faced five counts of receiving bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Throughout the proceedings, she maintained her innocence and rejected all allegations.
British prosecutors had alleged that Alison-Madueke, 65, benefited from what they described as “a life of luxury” allegedly financed by individuals within the oil and gas industry who were seeking favourable access to contracts in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The prosecution argued that the benefits formed part of a broader bribery arrangement connected to business dealings in Africa’s largest oil-producing nation, a country that has frequently battled allegations of corruption and governance challenges.
Alison-Madueke, however, consistently denied receiving illicit benefits and argued that she had no direct influence over the allocation of government contracts. She insisted that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised the level of authority alleged by prosecutors.
After deliberating for more than 46 hours, the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on all six counts against the former minister.
According to Reuters, the outcome represents a significant setback for British investigators, whose probe into allegations surrounding Alison-Madueke began more than a decade ago.
Also standing trial was oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced separate bribery-related charges connected to the case. Ayinde was accused of bribing Alison-Madueke and of bribing a foreign public official.
Another defendant, Doye Agama, Alison-Madueke’s brother, was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery over alleged payments linked to his church.
Like the former minister, both Ayinde and Agama denied all allegations brought against them.
At the conclusion of the trial, the jury acquitted all three defendants, clearing them of every charge filed in the case.
The verdict marks the end of a lengthy legal battle that attracted international attention due to Alison-Madueke’s former role as Nigeria’s petroleum minister and her brief tenure as President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, making her one of the most prominent figures ever to lead the global oil body.
(Ripples)
