A London jury has cleared Nigeria’s former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of all bribery charges, ending one of the most high-profile corruption prosecutions of a former Nigerian public figure.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court acquitted Alison-Madueke on six counts, five of receiving bribes and one of conspiracy to conduct bribery. She was accused of accepting favours from persons involved in the oil and gas sector in exchange for influence over profitable Nigerian energy contracts during her time as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015.
Alison-Madueke has repeatedly disputed the allegations during the trial, stating she had not solicited or accepted bribes and that she had no direct power to award contracts. Her defence lawyers said the prosecution had not met its burden of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The trial, which began in January and lasted many months, attracted considerable international attention given Alison-Madueke’s importance in the global energy business. She was Nigeria’s petroleum minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan and became the first woman to manage the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Co-defendants oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, were also acquitted of related counts. The jury had deliberated for more than 46 hours before returning its decision.
The lawsuit was brought by Britain’s National Crime Agency and was part of a bigger international operation to probe alleged wrongdoing tied to Nigeria’s oil sector. The acquittal closes a court procedure that began more than ten years ago when Alison-Madueke first faced investigation after leaving office in 2015.
The ruling vindicated her and restored her reputation after years of legal fights and public allegations, her legal representatives claimed. There was no immediate word from British officials on whether further action will be taken.
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