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Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke says her name has been “cleared” and that a “nightmare” has ended after a London jury found her not guilty of six bribery charges, bringing an 11-year legal battle to a close.
“I am deeply relieved. My name is cleared. This nightmare is over,” Alison-Madueke said in a statement released shortly after the verdict at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday.
The 65-year-old, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum resources minister from 2010 to 2015 under then-president Goodluck Jonathan, was acquitted by a jury after more than 46 hours of deliberation.
“For eleven long, gruelling years this case has hung over my head and has tormented me and my family. But today, the past decade of relentless and unjust vilification, condemnation and scrutiny has finally come to an end,” she said.
Alison-Madueke said she would speak further about the case in the coming days.
“But this is not the final chapter. In the days to come, I will speak more about this dark period and my plans for the future, but right now I am going to enjoy the freedom which has been unjustly stolen from me for far too many years,” she said.
“I thank God Almighty for His faithfulness and for completely vindicating me. I am grateful for the support of my lawyers and the unwavering love and encouragement of my friends and family,” she added.
Prosecutors had alleged Alison-Madueke was given “a life of luxury” in London from oil and gas industry figures seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria, a country long plagued by mismanagement and corruption.
"It's been a very arduous and long…almost eleven years, it's been traumatic, not just for me, but for my family and friends…"
Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, says she is grateful the case against her is finally over after a UK court… pic.twitter.com/0Bs3Le6wZF
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) June 17, 2026
The charges, filed in 2023, included five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, linked to the awarding of oil and gas contracts during her tenure as petroleum minister.
According to prosecutors, several Nigerian businessmen funded lavish expenses on her behalf, including more than £2 million ($2.5 million) spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million ($5.8 million) spent on refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
The case also included allegations that she had access to luxury properties, including a £2.8 million ($3.5 million) home in Marylebone, residences overlooking Regent’s Park, and a “grand” home in Buckinghamshire.
Alison-Madueke, who briefly served as president of OPEC between 2014 and 2015, denied all allegations during her court appearances.
“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort… and did not abuse my office,” she told the court, according to BBC.
She explained that a logistics company was set up in London to handle official arrangements because of what she described as a disorganised financial structure at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the time.
She also told the court that the NNPC reimbursed expenses incurred on her behalf during official engagements.
She also faces multiple corruption cases in Nigeria, some of which have stalled due to her absence. Nigerian courts have ordered the forfeiture of assets worth billions of naira linked to her.
