Alison Madueke, the former oil minister of Nigeria, was granted a “luxury” life, according to the UK bribery trial
British prosecutors said during Diezani Alison-Madueke’s corruption trial on Tuesday that the former Nigerian oil minister accepted bribes from business leaders interested in major oil and gas contracts, including luxury gifts and the use of upscale houses.
Alison Madueke, the first woman to serve in both positions, served as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ temporary president and minister of petroleum resources under then-President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 until 2015.
The 65-year-old was charged in 2023 with five counts of collecting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, which she denies, making her one of the most well-known former energy executives to go on trial for suspected corruption.
At London’s Southwark Crown Court, prosecutor Alexandra Healy informed jurors that Alison-Madueke “enjoyed a life of luxury in London”—where she frequently stayed—thanks to contracts with Nigerian state-owned businesses.
Charged with approving the use of a private jet
People who “clearly believed she would use her influence to favor them” allowed Alison Madueke to use upscale houses and large quantities of luxury goods, according to Healy.
Healy stated that although there was no proof that Alison-Madueke gave contracts to those who shouldn’t have had them, it was wrong for her to accept benefits from people conducting business with government-owned companies.
Alongside Alison-Madueke in the dock was Olatimbo Ayinde, a 54-year-old executive in the oil business who faces one count of bribery related to Alison-Madueke and another count of bribery of a foreign public official.
Doye Agama, 69, the brother of Alison-Madueke, is accused of conspiring to commit bribery in connection with Agama’s church. Due to medical concerns, he is watching the trial via video link.
The accusations against Ayinde and Agama are likewise refuted.
Between 2011 and 2015, Alison Madueke is said to have accepted a number of financial perks from people involved in the Nigerian oil sector. These consist of using a private plane and a chauffeur-driven vehicle.
Additionally, Nigerian businessman Benedict Peters, who is named on the indictment but is not on trial, is accused of having financed her son’s school costs.
Nigeria’s wealth from oil
Healy told the court that Kolawole Aluko, another Nigerian businessman accused in one accusation but not on trial, spent over two million pounds ($2.75 million) at Harrods alone on products for Alison-Madueke.
Aluko, who had purchased the home through a corporation for 3.25 million pounds and covered the costs of bills, staff, and renovations, provided Alison-Madueke with a mansion outside of London where she frequently visited with her family, Healy continued.
Ayinde is accused of bribing Alison-Madueke from 2012 to 2014 and of bribing Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the managing director of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation at the time, in 2015. Kachikwu is also not on trial.
Healy said that Ayinde gave Kachikwu a “substantial bribe” to guarantee her friend’s continuing employment with the NNPC following Jonathan’s ouster as president in 2015 by Muhammadu Buhari.
According to a Reuters study, Nigeria is the biggest oil producer in Africa and one of the biggest in the world, extracting over 1.53 million barrels per day in December, or about 1.4% of the world’s total.
However, among other things, corruption and poor management have impeded progress and stopped the greater Nigerian society from profiting from its oil wealth.
Although it may seem strange that accusations of bribing Nigerian officials would be heard in London, Healy told the jury that it was a reflection of the three defendants’ ties to Britain.
She claimed that corruption “undermines the proper functioning of the global market” and that actions taken in Britain that could encourage corruption elsewhere must be stopped.
