Diezani Alison-Madueke Faces Bribery Trial in London Over Oil Contracts

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke is set to face trial in London over allegations of bribery and abuse of office linked to her time in government.

The 65-year-old, who made history as the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is charged with five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The charges relate to her tenure as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015, during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Trial Set to Begin This Week

Legal proceedings may not formally begin until Tuesday, as prosecutors and defence lawyers are still required to agree on admissible evidence and finalise the jury selection, according to court officials.

The trial, expected to last 10 to 12 weeks, follows preliminary hearings held in London last week, during which technical issues were addressed and jurors were screened.

Details of the Allegations

Prosecutors allege that Alison-Madueke accepted “financial or other advantages” from individuals connected to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical between 2011 and 2015.

The alleged bribes include:

• Refurbishment works and staff costs at multiple London properties
• Furniture and luxury household items
• Chauffeur-driven cars
• A private jet flight to Nigeria
• £100,000 ($137,000) in cash

Additional allegations include payments of school fees for her son, luxury goods from Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet flights.

Prosecutors argue that accepting these benefits amounted to the improper performance of her duties as oil minister.

Other Defendants, Bail Status

Two other individuals — Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde — are also facing bribery-related charges in connection with the case.

Alison-Madueke has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and has denied all charges against her.

In 2023, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged her, alleging she abused her position to secure financial rewards in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil contracts.

Asset Recovery and International Dimension

The NCA said it also provided evidence to United States prosecutors, enabling them to recover assets valued at $53.1 million linked to the alleged corruption.

Recovered assets reportedly include:

• Luxury properties in California and New York
• A 65-metre superyacht, Galactica Star, seized by US authorities in March 2023

Background

Born in Port Harcourt in 1960, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in the UK and the US before joining Shell Nigeria.

Her political career included roles as:

• Minister of Transport (2007)
• Minister of Mines and Steel Development
• Minister of Petroleum Resources (2010–2015)

In 2014, she became the first woman to lead OPEC, a position she held for about a year.