The former Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared in a London court on Monday to face charges of receiving bribes during her tenure. The bribes allegedly involved cash payments, flights on private jets, luxury goods, and the use of high-end properties in Britain in exchange for awarding oil contracts.
This marked Alison-Madueke’s first court appearance at the Westminster Magistrates Court, where she only provided her name, date of birth, and address. No plea was requested during the hearing.
The charges against her, which were read out in court, specifically related to events that took place in London while she served as a minister in Nigeria.
According to the prosecutor, Andy Young, Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting various advantages, both in cash and in-kind, from individuals seeking to secure or maintain oil contracts, which collectively amounted to billions of dollars.
It is worth noting that this development comes shortly after another former Nigerian finance minister was charged with bribery offenses by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA).
In 2015, Alison-Madueke was arrested in London shortly after leaving her ministerial position. Since then, she has been on police bail for the past eight years, residing in the upscale area of St John’s Wood in London.
Between 2010 and 2015, she served as Nigeria’s Minister for Petroleum Resources during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Alison-Madueke is the second prominent Nigerian politician to face prosecution in Britain in recent years, following the case of James Ibori, a former governor of Delta State.
