British prosecutors have accused former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of enjoying a “life of luxury” funded by bribes allegedly received while she served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Alison-Madueke, 65, appeared at London’s Southwark Crown Court on the opening day of her trial, where she is facing multiple counts of bribery relating to the period between 2011 and 2015, when she served under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Prosecutors told the court that individuals and companies seeking access to “lucrative oil and gas contracts” with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company allegedly provided Alison-Madueke with “significant financial and other advantages” in return for favourable treatment.
“As a serving minister, she should not have accepted benefits from those doing extremely lucrative business with government-owned entities in the oil and gas sector,” the prosecution argued.
According to the charges, Alison-Madueke received financial and other benefits from individuals connected to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical—companies that secured contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or its subsidiaries.
The prosecution further alleged that the former minister received £100,000 in cash, access to chauffeur-driven luxury vehicles, private jet flights to Nigeria, and refurbishment work and staff costs for several London properties.
Additional counts allege that she benefitted from payments covering her son’s school fees, luxury goods from high-end retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet travel.
Alison-Madueke, who also served as President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) between 2014 and 2015—the first woman to hold the position—has been the subject of multiple legal proceedings in several jurisdictions, including the United States.
In Nigeria, courts ordered the seizure of several properties linked to her in 2017, with assets valued at millions of dollars.
A spokesperson for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed that the agency still has “subsisting cases” against her, though no further details were provided.
Alison-Madueke has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and has consistently denied all allegations against her. She was formally charged in the United Kingdom in 2023.
At the time of the charges, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) stated: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her position of power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”
Two other defendants—Doye Agama, her brother, and Olatimbo Ayinde—are also standing trial on bribery charges connected to the case. Prosecutors said all three defendants had British addresses during the period when the alleged offences were committed.
Presiding judge, Justice Justine Thornton, indicated that the trial is expected to conclude by April 24.
