Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of all br!bery charges brought against her following a high-profile corruption trial in the United Kingdom.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, June 17, returned not-guilty verdicts on all six charges against the 65-year-old. The charges included five counts of accepting br!bes and one count of conspiracy to commit br!bery. Alison-Madueke had consistently denied the allegations throughout the trial.
Prosecutors alleged that during her tenure as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, she received lavish benefits from oil and gas executives seeking valuable contracts in Nigeria’s energy sector.
According to the prosecution, she enjoyed what was described as “a life of luxury” in London in exchange for influence over the awarding of energy contracts.
However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she neither accepted br!bes nor had the authority to directly decide which companies received government contracts.
After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously acquitted her on all six counts.
The verdict represents a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into the former minister began more than a decade ago.
Alison-Madueke also made history as the first woman to serve as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Two co-defendants were likewise acquitted. Oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faced charges related to alleged br!bery involving Alison-Madueke and a foreign public official, was found not guilty.
Similarly, her brother, Doye Agama, 69, was acquitted of conspiracy to commit br!bery charges linked to payments allegedly made to his church.
The ruling brings to a close one of the most closely watched corruption cases involving a former senior Nigerian government official in the United Kingdom.