Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London for the preliminary hearing of her trial on bribery charges. The case was listed before Justice Thornton in Court 8 on Monday, as preliminary proceedings ahead of the full trial got underway.
Mrs Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015, is also a former president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Her full trial is scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026, with initial hearings covering technical matters and jury selection.
The 65 year old has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and has denied six counts of bribery brought against her by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency. She was formally charged in 2023 over allegations of accepting bribes between 2011 and 2015.
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Prosecutors allege she benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash and other rewards, including luxury transport, private jet flights and the use of London properties. Two other defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing related bribery charges, with the trial expected to last up to 12 weeks.
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