By Kay Noel
LONDON — A former Nigerian oil minister was cleared Thursday of bribery charges after a London jury found insufficient evidence she traded government contracts for luxury perks.
The verdict
Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, was found not guilty on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery at Southwark Crown Court. The UK’s National Crime Agency spent 13 years investigating the case.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and became the first female president of OPEC in 2014.
What the prosecution argued
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC told jurors the ex-minister let oil executives bankroll an extravagant UK lifestyle in exchange for lucrative government contracts. Six businessmen were named in the indictment but none were charged.
The NCA said Alison-Madueke accepted bribes in the form of luxury home stays and lavish spending.
The defense case
Alison-Madueke denied all charges, telling the court: “At no time did I ask, take, or seek a bribe of any sort.”
Her lawyers argued key documents proving her innocence were missing in Nigeria and the 11-year delay showed Britain’s “broken criminal justice system”. They said she relied on businessmen to cover living costs because her London office was in “disarray” and Nigerian ministers were barred from holding foreign bank accounts. She claimed she was reimbursed later in Nigeria.
She also portrayed herself as a target due to her gender. “In a very patriarchal society, to have a woman sitting at the helm was a major no-no,” she testified.
Others acquitted
The jury also cleared two co-defendants:
- Doye Agama, 69: Alison-Madueke’s brother and Manchester archbishop, acquitted of conspiracy to commit bribery.
- Olatimbo Ayinde, 54: Oil executive who told the court she was working as an informant for Nigerian anti-corruption authorities. She was found not guilty of bribery and bribery of a foreign public official.
What happens next
In a statement after the verdict, Alison-Madueke said her “nightmare is over” after “11 long, gruelling years” of scrutiny.
The acquittal is a setback for the NCA and raises questions about evidence-sharing between UK and Nigerian authorities. Defense barrister Jonathan Laidlaw KC noted Nigeria never prosecuted Alison-Madueke and the NCA did not seek extradition of the six oil executives named.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed her, submitted a statement saying third parties often paid expenses for ministers on overseas trips. He did not testify.
