Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all bribery charges brought against her in a high-profile corruption case in the United Kingdom.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court in London, where a jury found Alison-Madueke not guilty on six counts, including five charges of accepting bribes and one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Alison-Madueke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, consistently denied the allegations throughout the trial.
Prosecutors had alleged that the former minister received lavish benefits and luxury services in London from individuals within the oil and gas sector who were seeking access to lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum industry. They argued that these benefits amounted to bribes intended to influence government decisions.
However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she never accepted bribes and did not possess the authority to single-handedly determine the awarding of government contracts. She also rejected claims that she used her position to favour specific business interests.
Following more than 46 hours of jury deliberations, the court cleared her of all charges. The ruling marks a significant development in a case that British authorities had been investigating for over a decade.
The former minister, who once served as President of OPEC, was tried alongside oil industry executive Jide Omokore and her brother, Charles Alison.
Omokore faced two bribery-related charges, including allegations of bribing a foreign public official, while Alison was accused of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with alleged payments linked to his church.
Both men denied the accusations, and the jury also acquitted them of all charges.
The verdict brings an end to one of the most closely watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official, concluding years of legal proceedings and investigations in the United Kingdom.
