Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources and former President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Diezani Alison-Madueke, is set to appear in a London court on Monday as her long-awaited corruption trial officially begins.
The opening phase of the trial will begin this week with preliminary proceedings, including technical issues and jury selection, marking the first courtroom step in a case that has spanned nearly a decade.
Alison-Madueke was physically present in court last week as the process got underway, ahead of the full trial expected to hear extensive evidence.
The 65-year-old former minister, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is facing six counts of bribery connected to her time in office. She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Alison-Madueke holds a unique place in Nigeria’s political history, having been the country’s first female petroleum minister and the first woman to serve as president of OPEC.
Her tenure, however, has been dogged by multiple allegations of corruption, both locally and internationally, since she left office in 2015.
She was first arrested by British authorities in London in October 2015 as part of a major corruption investigation.
Since that arrest, Alison-Madueke has remained on bail while investigations continued, with the case drawing sustained attention due to its scale and the seniority of the individuals involved.
In 2023, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged Alison-Madueke, accusing her of accepting bribes over a four-year period between 2011 and 2015, when she wielded significant influence over Nigeria’s oil sector, one of the most lucrative in Africa.
At the time of filing the charges, the NCA said: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”
Prosecutors allege that the former minister benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash, as well as a range of luxury advantages provided by individuals seeking favourable treatment in the awarding of oil-related contracts. These alleged benefits include chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet flights, and the use of several high-end properties in London.
According to the charges, Alison-Madueke is also accused of receiving luxury furniture, funding for renovation works on properties, the services of household staff, and the payment of private school fees.
Prosecutors further claim she accepted expensive designer items, including gifts from luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton.
The prosecution is expected to argue that these benefits were provided as bribes in exchange for influence over oil contracts and strategic decisions within Nigeria’s petroleum sector, which controls billions of dollars in revenue annually.
The trial is scheduled to last between 10 and 12 weeks, during which the court is expected to hear testimony from multiple witnesses and examine financial records, property transactions, and other evidence linked to the alleged bribery scheme.
Two other defendants are also standing trial alongside Alison-Madueke. Doye Agama, who appeared before the court via video link, and Olatimbo Ayinde, who was physically present in court, are both facing bribery charges connected to the same case.
