Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of six bribery charges after a high-profile trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court.
Alison-Madueke, who held office between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, was accused of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. She denied all allegations throughout the trial.
Prosecutors alleged that she benefited from a lavish lifestyle in London allegedly funded by oil and gas industry figures seeking access to lucrative contracts in Nigeria, a country often criticised for corruption in its oil sector.
She, however, insisted she never received any bribes and maintained that she did not have direct control over contract awards. After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict on all six charges.
According to Reuters, the ruling represents a setback for UK authorities, who had investigated the allegations for more than ten years.
Alison-Madueke was tried alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who also faced related bribery charges connected to the case.
