Four Nigerian witnesses testified remotely in the UK corruption trial of former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison‑Madueke. The session took place on Wednesday from Abuja, using a video link to Southwark Crown Court in London.
The witnesses appeared under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, 2018, which allows Nigerian courts to cooperate with foreign trials. Justice James Omotosho oversaw the session in Abuja, while the UK judge and jury attended virtually.
The four witnesses, whose identities remain confidential, started giving evidence at 11 a.m. Nigerian time. The court will continue on Thursday with two more witnesses. The case, filed as CS/72/2026, concerns taking witness evidence in Nigeria for use in criminal proceedings under the mutual assistance law.
Alison‑Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum from 2010 to 2015 and was the first female president of OPEC. She has been on bail in the UK since her arrest in 2015. She has pleaded not guilty to six charges, including bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
Prosecutors allege that she accepted bribes linked to oil and gas contracts. The benefits allegedly include at least £100,000 in cash, private jet flights, chauffeur-driven cars, London property use, and school fees for her son. They describe these as “financial or other advantages.”
The trial began on January 26 and is expected to last 10–12 weeks. If convicted under the UK Bribery Act, Alison‑Madueke could face up to 10 years in prison or an unlimited fine. She is prosecuted alongside Agama Doye and Ayinde Olatimbo Bukola.
