Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all bribery charges brought against her in the United Kingdom, bringing to a close one of the most closely watched international corruption trials involving a former Nigerian public official.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on six charges relating to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery after more than 46 hours of deliberation.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan and also briefly led the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The former minister had been accused of receiving benefits and luxury privileges from figures in the oil and gas sector in exchange for influence over the award of lucrative contracts linked to Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Prosecutors alleged she enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle in London funded by individuals seeking business advantages.
Throughout the trial, Alison-Madueke denied wrongdoing and maintained that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised direct authority over the award of government contracts. Her defence team argued that she acted within official processes and rejected claims that personal benefits influenced public decisions.
The verdict marks a major legal victory for the former minister and concludes a case that had drawn attention in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom for years. Reuters also reported that co-defendants linked to the case were similarly cleared of related allegations.