Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London, United Kingdom, in the early stages of her long-running bribery case. The hearing on Monday was a preliminary session ahead of her full trial, which is scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026. The session included procedural matters such as technical legal arguments and initial jury matters.
Alison-Madueke, 65 years old, served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. She made history as the first female oil minister in Nigeria and later became the first woman to lead the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) during her tenure.
The charges against her date back more than a decade. She was first arrested in London in October 2015 and has been on bail since then. In 2023, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged her with six counts of accepting bribes and financial rewards in exchange for awarding lucrative oil and gas contracts while in office between 2011 and 2015.
According to the indictment presented by UK prosecutors, Alison-Madueke allegedly benefited from at least £100,000 (around $134,000) in cash and numerous other financial advantages, including chauffeur-driven vehicles, flights on private jets, access to multiple London properties, luxury furniture and renovations, payment of private school fees, and designer gifts from luxury brands.
The NCA has said it suspects she “abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” allegations she denies.
Co-Defendants and Trial Timeline
In addition to Alison-Madueke, two other individuals are being prosecuted in relation to the case:
- Doye Agama, who appeared via video link.
- Olatimbo Ayinde, who was present in the dock in person.
Prosecutors expect the full trial, beginning later this month, to last between 10 and 12 weeks.
Broader Asset Recovery and Corruption Context
This UK case is just part of a broader, long-running saga involving Alison-Madueke. In 2023–2025, the United States pursued civil forfeiture actions against assets allegedly tied to proceeds of corruption involving the former minister and her associates. This culminated in an asset return agreement in January 2025, under which the U.S. returned $52.88 million to the Nigerian government, funds allegedly tied to illicit contracts and acquired assets including luxury real estate and the superyacht Galactica Star.
In the UK proceedings, she was granted bail previously with stringent conditions, including a curfew and electronic monitoring due to concern she might abscond.
