Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of all bribery allegations brought against her by British prosecutors after a lengthy trial at a London court.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on six counts against the former minister, bringing to an end a case that stemmed from corruption investigations launched more than a decade ago.
Alison-Madueke, who headed Nigeria’s petroleum ministry between 2010 and 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, had faced accusations of receiving benefits from oil and gas businessmen in exchange for influence in the award of energy-related contracts.
The 65-year-old former minister consistently denied the allegations throughout the proceedings, maintaining that she neither accepted bribes nor wielded the authority attributed to her by prosecutors in the allocation of government contracts.
British authorities had alleged that several industry figures provided luxury benefits and other advantages to Alison-Madueke while seeking business opportunities in Nigeria’s lucrative oil sector. The prosecution argued that the arrangements amounted to bribery and corruption.
However, after more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury rejected the prosecution’s case and acquitted her on all charges.
The verdict represents a significant legal victory for Alison-Madueke, who also made history as the first woman to serve as President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Also discharged by the court were oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, who had been standing trial alongside her.
Ayinde, 54, had faced allegations relating to bribery and the bribery of a foreign public official, while Agama, 69, was accused of participating in a conspiracy involving alleged payments linked to a church he was associated with.
Both men denied any wrongdoing, and the jury found them not guilty on all counts.
The acquittals conclude one of the most closely watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official, marking the end of a legal battle that had attracted attention in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom for years.
