Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former petroleum minister, was found not guilty by a London jury on Wednesday on six bribery charges: five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The jury deliberated for more than 46 hours before reaching their verdict at Southwark Crown Court, bringing to a close a trial that lasted five months.
Prosecutors had alleged she was given “a life of luxury” in London, funded by oil and gas industry figures seeking lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector during her time as minister between 2010 and 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan. The allegations included rent-free use of high-end London properties and spending that reportedly included around £2 million at Harrods. Alison-Madueke denied everything, with her lawyers arguing that all payments were either reimbursed or covered by the Nigerian state for official purposes. She told the court she was known as “Madame Due Process.”
She stood trial alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who faced separate bribery charges, and her brother Doye Agama, who was charged with conspiracy. Both were also acquitted.
The verdicts are a major blow to British authorities, whose investigation into Alison-Madueke began more than a decade ago. She was first arrested in London in October 2015 and charged formally in 2023. The trial began in January 2026, and she was found not guilty of all charges on June 17, 2026.
What this verdict does not resolve is the broader picture. The Nigerian government under successive administrations has pursued separate asset recovery efforts. The NCA provided evidence to US prosecutors, allowing them to recover assets totalling $53.1 million linked to Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption — assets recovered under a civil process that operates on a different standard of proof from a criminal trial. An acquittal in London is not the same as a full stop on the story.
For now though, after eleven years, a five-month trial, and 46 hours of jury deliberation, the London case is closed.
