Diezani

Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 and former OPEC President, is currently standing trial at Southwark Crown Court in London on charges of corruption. She faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Prosecutors allege that between 2011 and 2015, she received benefits—including over £2 million in Harrods spending, £4.6 million in property refurbishments, private jet travel, and luxury home stays—from oil industry figures in exchange for influence over lucrative contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Alison-Madueke denies all charges. She contends that any expenses were official costs managed by the Nigerian government or the state-owned oil company to support her duties, citing administrative challenges at the time. She also maintains she had no personal involvement in or knowledge of certain financial transactions, such as cash deliveries or specific payment card usage. She was first arrested in London in 2015 and remained on bail during subsequent years of investigation. The current trial, which began in January 2026, also involves co-defendants Olatimbo Ayinde, charged with bribery, and her brother, Doye Agama, charged with conspiracy to commit bribery; both have pleaded not guilty. Additionally, UK evidence helped the U.S. Department of Justice recover $53.1 million in assets linked to her alleged corruption.