Nigeria's former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been found not guilty of all bribery charges by a jury in a London court. The verdict came on Wednesday after the jury returned not-guilty decisions.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The 65-year-old former minister has always denied these allegations.
Prosecutors claimed that Diezani received lavish gifts and led what they called "a life of luxury" in London. They alleged that this lifestyle was funded by oil and gas industry players who wanted favorable treatment and lucrative contracts in Nigeria's oil sector.
They argued that these benefits were given in return for her influence over government decisions and contract awards. But Diezani maintained throughout the trial that she did not take bribes or control the awarding of government contracts.
After over 46 hours of discussions, jurors at Southwark Crown Court found her not guilty on all counts, Reuters reported.
This verdict is a big blow for British authorities, who have been investigating corruption claims against Diezani for over ten years.
Diezani was a key player in Nigeria's oil industry during her time in office and even served briefly as the president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
She stood trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faced one bribery charge linked to Diezani and another charge for bribing a foreign public official.
The court's decision wraps up one of the most watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian official.
Diezani was charged in 2023 with five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. UK prosecutors say these charges relate to oil and gas contracts awarded during her time as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015.
She also led OPEC from 2014 to 2015. After the People's Democratic Party lost the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria, she moved to the UK. She has multiple corruption cases pending in Nigeria, some of which have stalled because she is not present.
Nigerian courts have ordered her to forfeit assets worth billions of naira linked to her.
In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Nigerian oil contractors lavishly funded Diezani's lifestyle in the UK.
Prosecutors allege that several Nigerian businessmen covered her extravagant expenses, including over £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million on renovating properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
The prosecution claims some of these payments were made with cards linked to Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and his company, Tenka Limited.
The case also mentions that she had access to luxury homes, including a £2.8 million house in Marylebone and properties with views of Regent’s Park, plus a grand home in Buckinghamshire.
During her court appearances, Diezani denied all charges. She told the court that the NNPC reimbursed expenses for her during official duties.
"I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort… and did not abuse my office," she said during a court session, according to BBC.
She explained that a logistics firm was set up in London to manage official needs because the NNPC's financial structure was disorganized at that time.
The verdict delivered on Wednesday is a major setback for British authorities, who have spent over a decade investigating the former minister's actions.
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