Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has broken her silence after a London court acquitted her of all six bribery charges, declaring that her name has been cleared and that she intends to embrace the freedom that has been unjustly denied her for nearly 11 years. In an emotional statement released through her aide, Bolouere Opukiri, the 65-year-old former OPEC president described the ordeal as "arduous" and "traumatic", but expressed profound relief that her legal battle had finally come to an end. A jury at Southwark Crown Court returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, after more than 46 hours of deliberation. The verdict brought to a close a 12-week trial that examined allegations of corruption during her tenure as Nigeria's petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015. Alison-Madueke was cleared on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Her brother, Doye Agama, was found not guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, while co-defendant Olatimbo Ayinde was acquitted on two bribery-related counts.
The case was brought by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), which alleged that Alison-Madueke had accepted benefits from oil and gas industry figures in exchange for influencing the award of lucrative contracts. Prosecutors claimed she received £100,000 in cash, over £2 million in luxury shopping at Harrods, £4.6 million for property refurbishments, private jet travel, chauffeur-driven vehicles, and payments for domestic staff at luxury properties in London and Buckinghamshire. The prosecution argued that she enjoyed a "life of luxury" funded by individuals seeking favourable treatment in Nigeria's oil sector. However, Alison-Madueke consistently denied all allegations, insisting that she never solicited or accepted bribes and did not abuse her public office. Her defence team argued that the case was politically motivated and that key documents capable of proving her innocence had disappeared due to a "gross delay" in the charges being brought. They also challenged the reliability of evidence originating from Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), raising concerns about the handling and preservation of materials. Defence counsel Jonathan Laidlaw KC questioned why several oil businessmen identified by prosecutors as central figures in the alleged bribery arrangements had not been charged. Former President Goodluck Jonathan also provided a written statement to the court, noting that it was not unusual for third parties to make payments on behalf of ministers on official foreign trips.
Following her acquittal, Alison-Madueke released a statement expressing profound relief and gratitude. "Today, at Southwark Crown Court, I was acquitted of all charges brought against me. For eleven arduous years, this matter has weighed heavily upon me and my family. Today, a decade of unrelenting and unjust vilification, condemnation, and scrutiny has finally concluded," she said. She added: "I am profoundly relieved. My name has been cleared, and this ordeal has come to an end. This, however, is not the final chapter. In due course, I shall address this difficult period in greater detail and share my intentions for the future. For now, I intend to embrace the freedom that has been unjustly denied me for many years". In a separate video message, she spoke of the emotional toll the case had taken on her and her family, particularly her elderly mother in Port Harcourt and her son. "It has been almost 11 years I've been here. I did my job to the best of my ability. But like I said, God is not a man that He should lie. God is God, and we thank Him. Praise the Lord," she said. She also stated: "God will always do as God wills, and God will be God. God is not a man that He should lie. So when He promises you something, He will see it through". The acquittal represents a significant setback for British authorities, who had been investigating corruption allegations against Alison-Madueke for over a decade. The former minister, who served as the first female president of OPEC between 2014 and 2015, has been on bail in Britain since her first arrest in October 2015. Had she been convicted under the UK's anti-bribery laws, she faced a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Her defence lawyer, Jonathan Laidlaw, noted that the trial had lasted five months and that Alison-Madueke's passport had been retained by British police since her first arrest 11 years ago, preventing her from accessing documents at her home in Nigeria. The verdict closes a protracted chapter in one of the most closely watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official.
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