The long-awaited corruption trial of former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke failed to begin as scheduled in London on Monday after lawyers cited legal and technical complications.
Alison-Madueke, 65, once one of Nigeria’s most powerful public officials and the first woman to lead OPEC, is accused of taking bribes while serving as Minister for Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015 under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Her trial is now expected to start on Tuesday, after both sides resolve disagreements over what evidence will be presented to the jury and complete the process of selecting jurors.
Prosecutors allege that during her time in office, Alison-Madueke received lavish benefits from individuals linked to Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical. These allegedly included the use of luxury London homes, expensive renovations, staff salaries, high-end furniture, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet trips to Nigeria, and £100,000 in cash.
Further accusations claim she accepted other perks such as school fees for her son, shopping sprees at elite stores like Harrods and Louis Vuitton, and additional private jet flights. Prosecutors say accepting these benefits amounted to a serious abuse of her public office.
Alison-Madueke appeared in court last week for preliminary hearings. The trial itself is expected to run for up to three months. Two other defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also standing trial on related bribery charges.
Arrested in London in 2015, Alison-Madueke has remained on bail for nearly a decade and has consistently denied all allegations against her. Formal charges were filed by the UK’s National Crime Agency in 2023, with investigators saying they believe she used her position to enrich herself through multi-million-pound oil deals.
Earlier this year, British authorities said evidence they shared with US prosecutors helped recover more than $53 million in assets allegedly linked to the case. The seized assets include luxury homes in New York and California and a massive superyacht, Galactica Star.
Born in Port Harcourt in 1960, Alison-Madueke trained as an architect in the UK and the US before rising through the ranks at Shell in Nigeria. She later moved into politics, holding several top ministerial roles before becoming petroleum minister in 2010. In 2014, she broke new ground as OPEC’s first female president.
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