Diezani in London court ahead of ‘£100,000 bribery’ trial
Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, has appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London for a preliminary hearing in her ongoing bribery case.
Court records show that the matter was listed before Justice Thornton in Court 8 on Monday. The appearance forms part of early proceedings ahead of the substantive trial, which is scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026.
British authorities filed charges against Alison-Madueke in August 2023, accusing her of accepting a £100,000 bribe while in office. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) alleged that the former minister received illicit payments in exchange for approving multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts during her tenure.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, she also made history as the first woman to serve as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
In October 2023, a Westminster magistrates court granted her bail in the sum of £70,000, citing concerns that she posed a flight risk. The court imposed additional restrictions, including an overnight curfew from 11pm to 6am, the use of an electronic monitoring tag, and the payment of a £70,000 surety before she was allowed to leave the court premises.
Beyond the UK proceedings, Alison-Madueke has faced asset recovery actions across multiple jurisdictions. In January 2025, Nigeria and the United States finalised an agreement for the return of $52.88 million recovered from the so-called Galactica assets linked to her.
US authorities said the funds were traced to luxury properties in California and New York, as well as the Galactica Star, a 65-metre superyacht, allegedly purchased with proceeds from improperly awarded oil contracts.
In Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also pursued assets connected to the former petroleum minister.
Related to this topic:
