Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Nigerian oil minister and first female OPEC president, was acquitted on June 17, 2026, of six bribery-related charges in London after over 46 hours of jury deliberation [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. She faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
The charges concerned allegations that Alison-Madueke received bribes in forms including luxury home stays, lavish spending, cars, private jets, and property renovations funded by oil industry figures seeking government contracts [1, 2, 3, 4, 6]. The UK National Crime Agency investigated the case for more than a decade before prosecution [1, 2, 3, 6].
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria's petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan and was OPEC president in 2014-2015, denied all allegations and said she had no influence over awarding contracts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Her defense argued key prosecution documents went missing in Nigeria and that prosecution delays harmed her case [1, 3, 6].
Her brother, Doye Agama, and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde were also acquitted [1]. Jonathan Laidlaw, her defense lawyer, highlighted the trial’s length, noting in court the six bribery charges were dismissed after five months of proceedings [3].
Speaking after the verdict, Alison-Madueke said, "For 11 long, gruelling years this case has hung over my head and has tormented me and my family. But today, the past decade of relentless and unjust vilification, condemnation and scrutiny has finally come to an end" [2].
The trial began in January 2026 at Southwark Crown Court in London and lasted five months [1, 3, 6]. The jury spent over 46 hours deliberating before reaching the not guilty verdict [2].
