The bribery and corruption trial of former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke resumed Monday at Southwark Crown Court.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2011 to 2015 and was the first woman president of OPEC, denies multiple charges that she accepted cash, luxury benefits, and other advantages in exchange for influencing energy contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned petroleum corporation.
Prosecutors allege she received private jet flights, chauffeur-driven cars, high-end shopping, and property refurbishments in London, as well as school fees for her son, from companies awarded contracts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries.
Defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw told the jury that critical documents needed for Alison-Madueke’s defence are no longer available and that British authorities retained her passport since her 2015 arrest, preventing her from accessing records in Nigeria. Laidlaw said payments made in the UK were reimbursed from Nigeria, as ministers are forbidden from holding bank accounts abroad.
Alison-Madueke has been on bail in Britain since her arrest in October 2015 and was formally charged in 2023. Two other defendants, her brother Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing bribery charges related to the case.
The trial is being closely watched for its implications on transparency and accountability in the global energy sector.
Further proceedings are expected in the coming weeks.
