Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all six bribery charges brought against her by British prosecutors, bringing to a close a closely watched corruption trial in the United Kingdom.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery after more than 46 hours of deliberations.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had consistently denied all allegations throughout the proceedings.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the 65-year-old former minister received a series of luxury benefits in London from individuals connected to the oil and gas industry who were seeking influence and access to lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
The prosecution argued that the benefits formed part of a wider bribery arrangement involving prominent figures within the energy industry. However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she never accepted bribes and insisted she had no direct authority over the award of government contracts as alleged by prosecutors.
After weeks of testimony and legal arguments, the jury cleared her of all six charges.
The case also involved oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate charge of bribing a foreign public official. Ayinde denied all allegations and was acquitted on both counts.
In a related charge, Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, was accused of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with payments allegedly made to his church. Agama also denied wrongdoing and was found not guilty by the jury.
The verdict represents a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into alleged corruption linked to Alison-Madueke has spanned more than a decade.
Despite the acquittal, the former minister remains a prominent figure in ongoing discussions surrounding corruption investigations connected to Nigeria’s oil sector during her tenure. However, the London jury’s decision clears her of the criminal allegations presented in the UK trial.
The case attracted widespread attention in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom because of Alison-Madueke’s influential role in Nigeria’s petroleum industry and her standing within the global energy sector.
The acquittal comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United States to recover assets allegedly linked to Alison-Madueke and her associates. Last year, both countries formalised an agreement for the repatriation of assets valued at approximately $52.88 million.
The agreement was signed in Abuja by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr.
Responding to the development at the time through her legal representatives, Mike Ozekhome Chambers, Alison-Madueke rejected claims linking her to the forfeited assets, describing the move as an attempt to tarnish her image and reputation.
Her counsel maintained that the former minister was neither involved in the acquisition, use nor disposal of the assets in question.
Wednesday’s verdict marks a major legal victory for Alison-Madueke, ending one of the most closely scrutinised corruption trials involving a former Nigerian public official in the United Kingdom.
