Proceedings resumed in London on Thursday in the high-profile corruption and bribery trial of former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, as jurors heard detailed evidence of an alleged trail of extravagant spending during her time in office.
Prosecutors told Southwark Crown Court that up to £140,000 was spent in a single day at a luxury antiques store in the British capital, covering high-end furniture, bespoke lighting and decorative art. The payments, the court heard, were allegedly made through intermediaries while Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s oil minister.
The public gallery was filled with supporters from the Ijaw community, many of whom travelled from abroad to attend the hearing.
Alison-Madueke, 65, has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of bribery and corruption linked to her oversight of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. Prosecutors allege she received cash payments and luxury benefits in exchange for influence over lucrative energy contracts, claims she strongly denies.
The case, which has drawn international attention, is seen as a significant test of accountability in the global energy industry.
In their first formal response at the trial, defence lawyers rejected the prosecution’s claims that Alison-Madueke accepted bribes. Jonathan Laidlaw KC told the jury that critical evidence which could have established her innocence was lost due to what he described as a “gross delay” in bringing the charges.
Alison-Madueke, the first woman to serve as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is accused of offences allegedly committed between 2011 and 2015, when she was Nigeria’s oil minister but maintained a residence in the United Kingdom.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) alleges the former minister received bribes in Britain, enabling what prosecutors earlier described as a “life of luxury” funded by individuals seeking favourable oil and gas contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned petroleum corporation.
However, the defence argued that Nigerian ministers are prohibited from holding foreign bank accounts and said records in Nigeria would have shown that accommodation and purchases paid for on her behalf in the UK were later reimbursed from Nigeria. Laidlaw told the jury that those records have since disappeared, leaving material crucial to her defence unavailable.
He also noted that Alison-Madueke has been unable to return to Nigeria to prepare her case, adding that British authorities have retained her passport since her arrest more than a decade ago.
The prosecution alleges Alison-Madueke accepted “financial or other advantages” from individuals connected to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups, companies that later secured contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or its subsidiaries.
Additional allegations include the receipt of £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven vehicles, private jet flights to Nigeria, refurbishment work and staffing costs at several London properties. Prosecutors also claim she benefited from school fees for her son, luxury goods from retailers such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet travel.
Alison-Madueke has been on bail in the UK since her arrest in October 2015 and was formally charged with accepting bribes in 2023. She has consistently denied all allegations.
Two co-defendants — her brother, Doye Agama, and Olatimbo Ayinde — are also standing trial on related bribery charges. Prosecutors said all three had British addresses at the time of the alleged offences.
The trial continues.
