Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of all bribery allegations by a court in the United Kingdom following a closely watched trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
The former minister was acquitted on six counts of bribery after a jury found her not guilty of corruption-related offences linked to her time in office between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Prosecutors had alleged that Alison-Madueke enjoyed a “life of luxury” in the UK in return for influencing the award of lucrative oil and gas contracts in Nigeria. Throughout the proceedings, she denied all accusations, maintaining that she neither accepted bribes nor abused her position to influence contract allocations.
After deliberating for more than 46 hours, the jury delivered a unanimous verdict, clearing her of all charges.
Two other defendants in the case, oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama were also acquitted and discharged of all bribery and conspiracy-related allegations.
The trial marked the culmination of an investigation that spanned more than a decade and formed part of broader anti-corruption efforts by British authorities involving former Nigerian public officials.
The verdict represents a significant outcome in a case that had drawn considerable attention both in Nigeria and internationally.
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