Alison-Madueke acquitted of bribery charges in Londo
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all six bribery charges brought against her at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Alison-Madueke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The former minister denied all the charges.
Prosecutors had alleged that she received luxury benefits in London from oil and gas industry figures seeking to secure lucrative contracts in Nigeria. However, Alison-Madueke maintained throughout the trial that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised influence over the award of government contracts.
After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on all six counts.
The acquittal marks a significant outcome in a case that stemmed from corruption investigations launched by British authorities more than a decade ago.
Also standing trial was oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced charges relating to the alleged bribery of Alison-Madueke and a foreign public official. He denied the allegations and was acquitted.
Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, who was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery over alleged payments made to a church linked to him, was also cleared of all charges.
The verdict brings to a close one of the most closely watched international corruption cases involving a former Nigerian public official.
Alison-Madueke also served briefly as President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
