UK Court Clears Diezani Alison-Madueke of Bribery Charges

Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke was found not guilty by a London jury on Wednesday of six bribery charges in a high-profile corruption trial of a former energy official.

“Diezani Alison-Madueke was cleared of six charges of bribery at Southwark Crown Court on 17 June 2026, after a five-month trial,” defence lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw said in a press release.

Alison-Madueke, 65, was acquitted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court after more than 46 hours of deliberation.

She had been convicted on five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

UK Court: Jonathan Approved Diezani’s Jet Use (NewsCentral TV) — Diezani Alison-Madueke. Credit: Punch Newspaper.

Prosecutors claimed that Alison-Madueke received “a life of luxury” in London from prominent members of the oil and gas sector seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria, a nation that has long struggled with corruption and poor management.

Alison-Madueke, who served as minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under then-president Goodluck Jonathan, said she never took bribes and had no real influence over the awarding of government contracts.

She was also briefly president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) during her tenure as Nigeria’s oil minister.

More details later.

Author

Jimisayo Opanuga

Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.