In brief
Diezani Alison‑Madueke, Nigeria’s ex‑oil minister, won the case announced last week after Judge and jury found no evidence she accepted bribes from oil giants. The trial, which began in January, focused on alleged luxury home stays and lavish spendings. While the National Crime Agency had tracked her for 13 years, key evidence was missing or destroyed in Nigeria. The verdict comes amid questions about the fairness of the prosecution and the NCA’s investigation.
A former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison‑Madueke, was cleared of five counts of accepting bribes plus a conspiracy charge in London’s Southwark Crown Court. The case, lasting over a decade, had her accused of receiving luxury stays and extravagant spending from oil executives.
Alison‑Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister between 2010‑2015 and was the first woman to lead the oil‐exporters group OPEC, told the court she had never asked for a bribe and that many of the items were for others. She claimed she was essentially told to “play along” with certain businessmen by Nigerian security services, but the jury found no proof of her involvement.
The verdict is a setback for Britain’s National Crime Agency, which had pursued the case for 13 years. Key questions remain: why the prosecution was delayed, why evidence from her Abuja home was never produced, and why police in Nigeria did not cooperate.
Alison‑Madueke’s brother and a senior oil‑industry executive were also cleared, underscoring the lack of evidence that the ministers had taken bribes. She said the decade spent under scrutiny had finally ended, allowing her to return to a normal life.
