Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to multiple bribery charges as her long-anticipated trial commenced at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke, 65, lived an extravagant lifestyle allegedly financed through illicit payments received while she served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2011 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to the prosecution, businessmen seeking access to highly profitable oil and gas contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company allegedly offered the former minister substantial financial and material benefits in exchange for her influence.
The court was told that individuals linked to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups, which secured contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries, were among those accused of providing inducements.
Prosecutors listed the alleged benefits to include £100,000 in cash, the use of chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet travel, renovation and staffing costs for luxury London properties, payment of school fees for her son, as well as expensive shopping trips to high-end outlets such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton.
Addressing the court, the prosecution argued that Alison-Madueke should not have accepted gifts or advantages from individuals doing lucrative business with government-owned entities.
Alison-Madueke, who also served as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries between 2014 and 2015, has been the subject of several legal proceedings in different jurisdictions, including the United States. In Nigeria, courts ordered the seizure of properties linked to her and valued at several million dollars in 2017, while cases filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission remain pending.
She was first arrested in London in October 2015 and has been on bail since then. Formal charges were brought against her in 2023, all of which she has consistently denied.
At the time of her arrest, the UK National Crime Agency alleged that she had abused her position in Nigeria and received financial rewards in return for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.
Also standing trial in the case are Doye Agama, her brother, and Olatimbo Ayinde, who face related bribery charges.
Trial judge, Justice Justine Thornton, said the court was aiming to conclude proceedings by April 24.
