A coalition of anti-corruption and civil society organisations has said the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by a London jury does not clear her of broader corruption allegations linked to her time in office.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the groups urged Nigerian authorities to intensify ongoing investigations into allegations surrounding the management of the country’s oil sector and ensure accountability for billions of dollars in reportedly missing oil revenues.
The statement was jointly signed by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International Nigeria, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Spotlight on Corruption, and The Corner House (UK).
The coalition said while it respects the UK court’s verdict, the acquittal should not be interpreted as an exoneration of Alison-Madueke from wider corruption allegations arising from her tenure as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015.
Last month, a London jury acquitted Alison-Madueke, her brother Doye Agame, and businesswoman Olatimbo Ayinde of bribery charges after a five-month trial, ending a 13-year investigation into allegations that she received luxury gifts and benefits in the United Kingdom.
According to the organisations, the UK case focused mainly on allegations that the former minister accepted gifts and luxury benefits, without examining whether those benefits were connected to the award of lucrative oil contracts.
They noted that during Alison-Madueke’s tenure, Nigeria’s oil industry was embroiled in allegations that about $20 billion in oil revenues had gone missing, prompting investigations in several countries.
The coalition also pointed to previous asset recoveries linked to the former minister, including assets worth $53.1 million seized by the United States and returned to Nigeria in 2025, as well as more than $87.8 million reportedly recovered by Nigerian authorities.
The groups argued that the UK’s prosecution faced major obstacles, including delays in obtaining evidence from Nigeria, Seychelles and Switzerland, while the defence claimed that some evidence had disappeared from Nigeria.
They also said the prosecution’s case was complicated after Nigeria’s Attorney General reportedly informed the court that co-defendant Olatimbo Ayinde had acted as an informant for Nigerian authorities, creating challenges for British prosecutors during the trial.
The coalition maintained that the shortcomings of the UK prosecution should encourage, rather than discourage, Nigerian authorities from pursuing domestic investigations and pending corruption cases against Alison-Madueke.
Executive Director of ANEEJ, Revd David Ugolor, said the UK verdict marked the end of only one legal process and should not halt efforts to investigate unresolved allegations concerning Nigeria’s oil wealth.
Similarly, HEDA Resource Centre Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju described the acquittal as exposing weaknesses in the UK’s anti-corruption enforcement, while CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Ibrahim Musa said the verdict highlighted the need for Nigeria to prosecute corruption cases within its own judicial system.
Spotlight on Corruption’s Deputy Director, Dr. Helen Taylor, also argued that the London trial addressed only a limited aspect of the allegations surrounding Alison-Madueke’s tenure and urged Nigerian authorities to continue investigations to ensure accountability over the country’s oil revenues.
