LONDON, United Kingdom — British prosecutors on Tuesday detailed allegations that former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke accepted bribes in the form of luxury goods, high-end properties, and other benefits from oil industry figures seeking lucrative government contracts.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as Nigeria’s minister for petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 under former president Goodluck Jonathan, is standing trial at Southwark Crown Court on charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, which she denies.
Opening the prosecution’s case, Alexandra Healy told jurors that Alison-Madueke “enjoyed a life of luxury in London,” funded by individuals who believed she would use her influence to favour them in dealings with Nigerian state-owned oil companies.
Healy said the former minister was provided with access to chauffeur-driven vehicles, a private jet, luxury accommodation and expensive goods, including items purchased during a lavish 2013 shopping trip to Harrods.
“These were benefits given by people who clearly believed she would use her influence to favour them,” the prosecutor said.
Influence and Ethics at the Centre of the Case
Prosecutors acknowledged there was no evidence Alison-Madueke directly awarded contracts to unqualified companies. However, Healy argued that her acceptance of benefits from industry figures doing “extremely lucrative business” with government-owned entities amounted to corruption, given her senior role.
Alison-Madueke was also briefly president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), becoming the first woman to hold the position.
She faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, stemming from alleged conduct between 2011 and 2015.
Co-Accused and Alleged Payments
Also on trial is oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who is charged with bribing Alison-Madueke between 2012 and 2014 and with a separate count of bribing a foreign public official. Ayinde denies all charges.
Alison-Madueke’s brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and is following proceedings via video link for medical reasons. He also denies the charges.
Prosecutors allege that Ayinde later paid a “substantial bribe” in 2015 to the then-managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, to ensure a close associate retained her position after Muhammadu Buhari replaced President Jonathan. Kachikwu is not on trial.
The court heard that Alison-Madueke also allegedly benefited from payments of her son’s school fees by Nigerian businessman Benedict Peters, who is named in the indictment but is not facing charges.
Wider Context of Nigeria’s Oil Sector
Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer and one of the world’s top exporters, pumping about 1.53 million barrels per day in December, according to a Reuters survey — roughly 1.4pc of global supply.
The case against Alison-Madueke is among the most high-profile international corruption trials involving a former African cabinet minister and underscores growing cross-border efforts to prosecute alleged financial crimes linked to public office.
The trial continues.
