Diezani Cleared Of Bribery Charges By London Court

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all bribery charges brought against her in the United Kingdom, bringing an end to a high-profile corruption case that has spanned more than a decade.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on six counts against the former minister after more than 46 hours of deliberation.

Alison-Madueke, who served in the administration of former President between 2010 and 2015, had faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She consistently denied all allegations throughout the proceedings.

Prosecutors had alleged that she benefited from luxury hospitality and other advantages allegedly provided by oil and gas executives seeking favourable treatment in the award of contracts linked to Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

However, the former minister maintained that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised direct influence over the allocation of government contracts.

The verdict represents a significant development in a case that had attracted international attention due to Alison-Madueke’s prominent role in Nigeria’s oil industry and her position as the first female president of .

Also cleared by the jury were oil executive and Alison-Madueke’s brother, .

Ayinde had been charged with offences relating to alleged bribery, while Agama faced allegations connected to payments made to a church. Both men denied wrongdoing and were found not guilty on all counts.

The acquittals bring to a close one of the most closely watched corruption trials involving a former Nigerian public official in the United Kingdom.

The case had formed part of a wider investigation by British authorities into alleged corruption linked to Nigeria’s energy sector, an inquiry that began more than 10 years ago.