The corruption trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources and the first woman president of OPEC, is set to begin in London on Monday. The 65-year-old faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all linked to her tenure as minister between 2010 and 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Alison-Madueke is accused of receiving “financial or other advantages” from individuals connected to two energy companies, including refurbishment work and staff costs for London properties, furniture, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights to Nigeria, and £100,000 ($137,000) in cash. Additional allegations include the payment of school fees for her son, luxury goods from high-end stores such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet flights. The indictment states that these bribes constituted “improper performance” of her official duties.
She appeared in a London court last week for preliminary proceedings, including jury selection. The trial is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks. Two others, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, face related bribery charges. Alison-Madueke has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and denies all charges.
In 2023, the National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged her, alleging she abused her power to secure multi-million-pound contracts. The NCA also provided evidence that allowed US authorities to recover $53.1 million in assets, including luxury real estate in California and New York, and the 65-metre superyacht Galactica Star.
Born in Port Harcourt in 1960, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in the UK and US before joining Shell Nigeria and later holding key ministerial positions, culminating in her appointment as OPEC president in 2014.
