Bribery Case: Diezani Appears in UK Court Ahead of January Hearing

The former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared on Monday at London’s Southwark Crown Court for the preliminary hearing in her bribery case.

The matter was listed before Justice Thornton in Court 8, as Alison-Madueke made her first appearance ahead of the commencement of her full trial scheduled for January 26, 2026.

The former minister was charged in August 2023 by the United Kingdom authorities over allegations of accepting a £100,000 bribe.

The UK’s National Crime Agency said Alison-Madueke is suspected of having received bribes in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts during her time in office.

Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. She also made history in 2014 when she became President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

In October 2023, Alison-Madueke was granted bail in the sum of £70,000 by a Westminster magistrates’ court, which described her as a flight risk.

The court imposed strict conditions, including an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, the wearing of an electronic monitoring tag at all times, and the provision of a £70,000 surety before she could leave the court premises.

Beyond the criminal case in the UK, Alison-Madueke remains entangled in multiple asset recovery actions.

In January 2025, the Nigerian government and the United States signed an agreement for the return of $52.88m recovered from the Galactica assets linked to the former minister.

The US authorities had alleged that Alison-Madueke and her associates used proceeds from illicitly awarded oil contracts to acquire luxury properties in California and New York, as well as the Galactica Star, a 65-metre superyacht.

Similarly, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has pursued assets linked to the former petroleum minister within the country.