BRITISH prosecutors on Tuesday accused former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of enjoying a “life of luxury” funded by bribes she allegedly received while overseeing Nigeria’s oil sector between 2011 and 2015.
News Point Nigeria reports that Alison-Madueke, 65, appeared at the Southwark Crown Court in London as her long-awaited trial formally opened, marking a significant chapter in one of the most high-profile corruption cases involving a former Nigerian government official.
The former minister, who also made history as the first woman to serve as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is facing multiple counts of bribery relating to her tenure under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Opening the prosecution’s case, British prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke abused her position as Nigeria’s oil minister by accepting “significant financial or other advantages” from individuals and companies seeking lucrative oil and gas contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned oil corporation.
According to the prosecution, the former minister should not have accepted any benefits from parties doing “extremely lucrative business” with government-owned entities such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries.
The court was told that Alison-Madueke allegedly received bribes from individuals connected to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups, both of which secured major oil contracts with the NNPC during her time in office.
Prosecutors detailed an alleged pattern of benefits said to have been enjoyed by the former minister, including £100,000 in cash, the use of chauffeur-driven luxury vehicles, private jet flights to Nigeria, and refurbishment works and staff costs for several high-value properties in London.
Further allegations include the payment of school fees for her son, shopping sprees at luxury retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and additional private jet flights funded by individuals seeking favour in Nigeria’s oil sector.
“These were not gifts between friends,” the prosecution argued, but rewards allegedly given in exchange for influence over the awarding of multi-million-pound oil contracts.
Alison-Madueke, who sat in the dock on the first day of proceedings, has consistently denied all charges against her.
The former minister has been under legal scrutiny across multiple jurisdictions for nearly a decade. In Nigeria, courts ordered the seizure of several properties linked to her in 2017, with assets valued at several million dollars.
In the United States and the United Kingdom, law enforcement agencies have also pursued investigations into her financial dealings and assets.
A spokesperson for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed on Tuesday that the agency still has “some subsisting cases” against Alison-Madueke, though no further details were provided.
Alison-Madueke was first arrested in London in October 2015 and has been on bail since then. She was formally charged with bribery offences in 2023.
At the time of her charging, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said it suspected the former minister had abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards in exchange for awarding oil contracts worth millions of pounds.
Two other defendants, Doye Agama, Alison-Madueke’s brother, and Olatimbo Ayinde — are also standing trial on bribery charges linked to the same case. Prosecutors said all three had British addresses at the time the alleged offences were committed.
Presiding over the proceedings, Judge Justine Thornton indicated that the trial is expected to run for several weeks and expressed hope that it would conclude by April 24.