Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister and ex-President of OPEC, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of bribery charges in the United Kingdom following a high-profile trial that lasted several months and stemmed from allegations dating back more than a decade.
According to her defence team, the verdict was delivered at Southwark Crown Court in London on June 17, 2026, bringing an end to a legal battle that had drawn international attention since her arrest in 2015.
Her lawyers confirmed that Alison-Madueke was acquitted of six counts of bribery brought by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which had investigated alleged offences linked to Nigeria’s oil sector between 2011 and 2015.
The prosecution had accused her of receiving financial and other benefits from individuals connected to energy companies that secured contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned petroleum corporation during her tenure as oil minister. The allegations also included claims that she benefited from a lavish lifestyle funded by those seeking access to lucrative oil and gas deals.
However, her defence team strongly rejected the accusations throughout the trial, arguing that the case suffered from significant delays that affected the availability of key evidence. Lead defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw stated that the prolonged timeline resulted in the loss of material that could have supported her innocence.
He further told the court that documents which might have clarified her position were no longer accessible, partly due to the passage of time and restrictions on her ability to retrieve records while her passport remained in the custody of UK authorities following her initial arrest.
Alison-Madueke, who became the first female President of OPEC during her tenure from 2014 to 2015, has faced multiple legal challenges across different jurisdictions over the years, including investigations in the United States related to her time in office.
Prosecutors had alleged that she maintained an extravagant lifestyle during her years in public office, including the use of chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet travel, and luxury renovations at properties linked to her in London. These claims formed part of the broader case presented by the NCA.
Despite the allegations, the court ultimately ruled in her favour, ending a legal process that had spanned over a decade and kept her on bail in the UK since her arrest in October 2015. She had consistently denied all charges brought against her, including formal accusations filed in 2023.
Her defence maintained throughout the proceedings that critical records had been lost or were inaccessible, making it impossible to fully respond to the allegations as presented by the prosecution.
The case marks a significant conclusion to one of the most closely watched corruption trials involving a former high-ranking Nigerian government official in recent years. While the verdict brings closure in the UK proceedings, Alison-Madueke’s legal and public profile remains one of the most debated in Nigeria’s modern political history.
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