Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has said that the United Kingdom authorities “destroyed her reputation” after a 13-year investigation that she described as painful and traumatic, following her recent acquittal in a bribery trial.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister between 2010 and 2015 and became the first female president of OPEC, was found not guilty on five counts of accepting bribes and conspiracy to commit bribery at Southwark Crown Court in London.
The trial, which began in January, was brought after a long-running investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which first arrested her in 2015 but only formally charged her in 2023.
Speaking after her acquittal, she said she had been prevented from travelling and working for years, adding that the prolonged investigation had severely affected her life and reputation.
She argued that she had never engaged in any wrongdoing and insisted she was wrongly accused of receiving kickbacks and luxury benefits from oil contractors, allegations she firmly denied throughout the case.
The former minister also claimed that key documents that could have supported her defence were missing, saying they were taken during a 2015 search of her residence in Abuja and were never recovered.
She further stated that former President Goodluck Jonathan had indicated that it was common practice for third parties to cover travel and accommodation costs for officials on government assignments.
Alison-Madueke also suggested that the investigation may have been influenced by political factors and described herself as a “target of convenience,” while acknowledging that responsibility for the case may be shared among several parties.
The National Crime Agency maintained that it conducted a thorough and impartial investigation, noting that its findings were reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service before charges were approved.
The agency said it respects the jury’s decision and reaffirmed that the case was handled in accordance with standard procedures and international cooperation.
Other individuals linked to the case, including her brother Doye Agamas and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, were also acquitted of related bribery charges.
Despite earlier asset recovery actions in the United States and investigations by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies, Alison-Madueke insisted that no direct link had been established between her and the forfeited assets.
