The high-profile corruption trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former petroleum resources minister and the first woman to lead OPEC, starts Monday, January 26, in a London court.
Now 65, Alison-Madueke faces five counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy related to her 2010-2015 tenure under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Prosecutors claim she accepted “financial or other advantages” from energy company-linked individuals, including London properties with refurbishments and staff, furniture, chauffeured cars, a private jet to Nigeria, and £100,000 ($137,000) cash. Additional allegations involve school fees for her son, luxury items from Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and more flights—all tied to “improper performance” of her duties.
She appeared in court last week for preliminaries like jury selection; the trial should last 10-12 weeks. Co-defendants Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde face related bribery charges. Arrested in London in 2015, she’s been on bail and denies all claims. The UK’s NCA charged her in 2023, stating: “We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”
In 2023, NCA evidence helped US authorities seize $53.1 million in assets, including California and New York properties plus the 65-metre superyacht Galactica Star.
Born in 1960 to a prominent Port Harcourt family, Alison-Madueke studied architecture in the UK and US, worked at Shell Nigeria, then entered politics: transport minister in 2007 under Umaru Yar’Adua, mines and steel later, and petroleum resources from 2010 under Jonathan. She led OPEC in 2014-2015
