By Stephen Simon
A London court has acquitted former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of all corruption-related charges brought against her by British authorities.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on six counts, including five charges 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 petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, had consistently denied all allegations throughout the trial.
British prosecutors alleged that the former minister received luxury benefits, including the use of high-end properties, chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet travel, shopping sprees and other gifts from individuals linked to the oil and gas industry in exchange for favourable treatment in the award of lucrative energy contracts.
However, her defence team argued that she neither solicited nor accepted bribes and maintained that she did not possess unilateral authority to determine the allocation of oil and gas contracts. Her lawyers contended that contract approvals followed established government procedures and that her role was largely based on recommendations from relevant agencies and officials.
During the trial, Alison-Madueke told the court that she had never asked for, accepted or sought bribes of any kind. She also rejected claims that gifts and benefits she received influenced official decisions taken during her tenure.
The verdict marks the end of one of the most high-profile international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official. British authorities had been investigating allegations against Alison-Madueke for more than a decade, making the case a flagship anti-corruption prosecution for the UK’s law enforcement agencies.
The trial also involved Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who were similarly acquitted of related charges.
Reacting to the verdict, Alison-Madueke expressed relief, describing the judgment as the end of an 11-year legal ordeal. The acquittal is expected to generate widespread reaction in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, given the prominence of the case and its implications for international anti-corruption enforcement efforts.
