Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources has been cleared of all corruption allegations after a London jury acquitted her of six bribery-related charges at Southwark crown court.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday after the jury deliberated for more than 46 hours, bringing to an end a high-profile trial that had lasted several weeks.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Prosecutors in the United Kingdom had alleged that she received luxury benefits from oil and gas industry figures in exchange for influencing the award of lucrative contracts in Nigeria.
They argued that she used her position to gain undue advantage in the country’s petroleum sector.
However, the former minister consistently denied all allegations, insisting she never received bribes and had no direct control over contract awards.
She was tried alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced bribery-related charges, as well as her brother, Doye Agama, who was accused of conspiracy linked to alleged payments involving a church. All defendants were acquitted.
Alison-Madueke stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who was charged with one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate count of bribery of a foreign public official.
Alison-Madueke’s brother Doye Agama, 69, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with his sister relating to payments made to Agama’s church.
Both Ayinde and Agama denied the charges against them and were also acquitted by the jury.