Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, made a court appearance at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday before Justice Thornton in Court 8. This preliminary hearing covered technical matters and jury selection as her full trial looms, set to start January 26, 2026, and run 10-12 weeks.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) charged the 65-year-old ex-minister in August 2023 with accepting at least £100,000 ($134,000) in bribes from 2011-2015. Prosecutors allege she traded multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts for cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, luxury London properties, and high-end shopping at stores like Louis Vuitton and Harrods.
Alison-Madueke, who served from 2010-2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan and became OPEC’s first female president in 2014, has denied six to eight counts of bribery and conspiracy. Arrested in London in October 2015, she received bail—initially £70,000 with curfew, electronic tagging, and surety conditions after being labeled a flight risk.
Related assets include a $52.88 million recovery in January 2025 via a Nigeria-US agreement on the Galactica Star superyacht and luxury US properties linked to illicit contracts. Nigeria’s EFCC has pursued her local assets amid ongoing probes.
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