(Diezani Alison-Madueke. Photo by Tribune Online)
Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources, was on Wednesday found not guilty by a London jury of six bribery charges, bringing to a close a rare corruption trial involving a high-profile former energy official.
Alison-Madueke served as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under then-President Goodluck Jonathan. She had stood trial on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all of which she denied.
Prosecutors had alleged that the 65-year-old former minister enjoyed a life of luxury in London, funded by figures within the oil and gas industry who were seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria, a country long plagued by mismanagement and corruption.
However, the former minister, who also briefly served as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, maintained that she never accepted any bribes and had no real influence over the award of government contracts.
Following a trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court, Alison-Madueke was acquitted by the jury on all six charges after more than 46 hours of deliberation.
The not-guilty verdict represents a significant setback for British authorities, who had been investigating corruption allegations against her for over a decade.
She stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who faced one count of bribery linked to Alison-Madueke and a separate count involving the bribery of a foreign public official.
Her brother, Doye Agama, 69, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with payments made to his church.
Both Ayinde and Agama denied the allegations and were likewise acquitted by the jury.