FEATURED
I’m Fully Vindicated of 11-Year-Old Case That Tormented Me and My Family – Diezani Celebrates UK Court Acquittal
Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke, has reacted to her acquittal of all corruption charges, on Wednesday by a United Kingdom (UK) jury.
Diezani who was found not guilty following an 11-year legal battle, is celebrating what she called “a decade of relentless vilification.”
Southwark Crown Court in London had cleared Alison-Madueke, 64, on all five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery after more than 46 hours of jury deliberations.
The verdict closes a case that began with her arrest in London in October 2015.
Speaking after the ruling, Diezani said the decision had restored her reputation.
“I am deeply relieved. My name is cleared. This nightmare is over,” she said in a statement. “I thank God Almighty for His faithfulness and for completely vindicating me.”
“For eleven long, gruelling years, this case has hung over my head and has tormented me and my family,” she added.
“Today, the past decade of relentless and unjust vilification, condemnation and scrutiny has finally come to an end.”
Prosecutors had alleged that while serving as minister under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, Alison-Madueke received more than £100,000 in benefits from oil and gas executives seeking lucrative contracts.
The benefits cited in court included private jet flights, chauffeur-driven vehicles, luxury goods, use and maintenance of a London property, and payment of her son’s school fees.
She was tried alongside co-defendants Ayinde Olatimbo Bukola and Agama Doye.
The trial began in January 2026, with Alison-Madueke maintaining her innocence throughout proceedings.
Despite the UK acquittal, legal challenges remain for the former minister in Nigeria, where she still faces pending corruption and money laundering cases.
Alison-Madueke’s tenure as petroleum minister made her the first woman to hold the position in Nigeria and later the first female president of OPEC in 2014. Her arrest in 2015 marked the start of one of the most high-profile corruption investigations involving a Nigerian public official.
