Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of six bribery charges by a London jury, bringing an end to a high-profile corruption case that had been under investigation for more than a decade.
Alison-Madueke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, was found not guilty on Wednesday after jurors at Southwark Crown Court cleared her of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The 65-year-old, who also briefly served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), had consistently denied the allegations throughout the trial.
British prosecutors claimed that Alison-Madueke enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in London funded by oil and gas executives who allegedly sought lucrative contracts in Nigeria. According to the prosecution, the former minister received benefits and privileges in exchange for influence over government deals in Africa’s largest oil-producing nation.
However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised direct control over the awarding of contracts. Her defence argued that she had no decisive role in determining who secured oil and gas deals during her tenure.
After weeks of proceedings at Southwark Crown Court, jurors spent more than 46 hours deliberating before unanimously acquitting Alison-Madueke of all six charges.
The verdict represents a major setback for British authorities, whose investigation into corruption allegations involving the former minister began more than ten years ago.
Alison-Madueke stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faced one count of bribery linked to the former minister and another count involving the alleged bribery of a foreign public official.
Her brother, Doye Agama, 69, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with payments allegedly made to his church.
Both Ayinde and Agama denied all allegations against them. The jury ultimately acquitted the two men alongside Alison-Madueke, bringing the closely watched corruption trial to a dramatic conclusion.
The verdict marks the end of one of the most prominent international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official and raises questions about the outcome of a decade-long investigation pursued by British prosecutors.
