June 17, 2026 — A London court has found former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, not guilty on all corruption and bribery charges brought against her after a lengthy trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She consistently denied all allegations.
The case was brought by British prosecutors following an investigation by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which formally charged her in 2023. Prosecutors alleged that between 2011 and 2015, she received benefits from oil and gas industry figures seeking favourable treatment in the award of lucrative oil and gas contracts in Nigeria.
According to the prosecution, the alleged benefits included luxury accommodation in the United Kingdom, private jet travel, chauffeur-driven vehicles, shopping trips at high-end stores, cash payments, and other expensive gifts. Prosecutors argued that these benefits amounted to bribes linked to her position as petroleum minister.
Alison-Madueke denied the allegations throughout the trial, maintaining that she never requested, accepted, or sought bribes and did not improperly influence the award of government contracts. Her defence team argued that she had limited authority over contract approvals and that expenses incurred on her behalf were either reimbursed personally or covered through official government channels where appropriate.
The former minister stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama. Ayinde was accused of bribery-related offences, while Agama faced a conspiracy to commit bribery charge linked to payments made to his church. Both men denied the allegations.
After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges against Alison-Madueke, Ayinde, and Agama, bringing the high-profile corruption trial to a close. The verdict represents a major setback for British authorities, who had spent more than a decade investigating the allegations.
This is a developing story.
