Former Nigerian Minister Faces Multi-Million-Pound Corruption Trial in London

A major corruption trial involving former Nigerian petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is set to open in London this week.

The case places one of Nigeria’s most prominent former public officials before a British court over allegations of large-scale bribery tied to her years in office.

Alison-Madueke, aged 65, is standing trial on multiple criminal counts linked to her tenure as Minister of Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015.

She also served as the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) during that period.

Prosecutors allege that she received illegal benefits from individuals connected to two major energy firms.
The charges include five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Court documents state that the alleged benefits included “financial or other advantages” provided over several years.
These are said to cover luxury accommodation in London, payment for renovation works, household staff expenses, expensive furniture, and chauffeur-driven vehicles.

Investigators also listed private jet flights, including trips to Nigeria, and a cash payment of £100,000.

Further accusations claim that she received payments for her son’s school fees.
Other items allegedly given to her include products from high-end stores such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton.
Additional private jet flights are also part of the case.

Prosecutors argue that accepting these benefits amounted to “improper performance” of her duties as Nigeria’s oil minister.
They say the actions influenced the award of major oil and gas contracts worth millions of pounds.

Alison-Madueke appeared in court last week for preliminary hearings.
These proceedings focused on technical legal matters and jury selection.
The full trial is expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks.

Two other defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing bribery-related charges connected to the same investigation.

The former minister has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015.
She has consistently denied all allegations brought against her.

In 2023, British authorities formally filed criminal charges against her after years of investigation.
At the time, the National Crime Agency said: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”

The case has also drawn attention from authorities in the United States.
Earlier investigations helped US prosecutors recover assets valued at more than $53 million.
These assets reportedly included luxury properties in California and New York and a large superyacht known as the Galactica Star.

Alison-Madueke began her career as an architect after studying in the United Kingdom and the United States.
She later joined Shell’s Nigerian operations before entering politics.

Her political career saw her serve as Minister of Transport, then Minister of Mines and Steel Development, before becoming Petroleum Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Her appointment as OPEC president in 2014 marked a historic milestone for Nigeria and for women in the global oil industry.

However, that achievement has since been overshadowed by years of legal battles and corruption allegations.

The London trial is expected to attract strong international attention due to the scale of the claims and her former influence in Nigeria’s oil sector.

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