BREAKING: UK court clears Diezani of bribery allegations after lengthy trial

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been acquitted of all bribery-related charges brought against her by British prosecutors following a high-profile trial in London.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday returned not-guilty verdicts on six counts, including five charges of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The verdict came after more than 46 hours of deliberation.

Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had consistently denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.

Prosecutors alleged that she received luxury benefits funded by figures in the oil and gas industry in exchange for influence over government decisions and the award of lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector. They claimed she enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle in the United Kingdom supported by individuals seeking favourable treatment.

The former minister, however, maintained that she neither accepted bribes nor exercised direct control over the award of government contracts. During the trial, she told the court that expenses incurred on her behalf during official engagements were reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort and did not abuse my office,” she said during one of the hearings.

Alison-Madueke was tried alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced charges relating to alleged bribery involving the former minister. The case stemmed from an investigation launched by British authorities more than a decade ago into allegations linked to oil and gas contracts awarded during her tenure in office.