“It has been a traumatic 11-year journey”: Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke breaks silence after UK court clears her of bribery charges

SUMMARY

• Former Nigerian Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke was acquitted of all bribery charges by a London jury.

• The verdict concludes a high-profile five-month trial and a decade-long UK National Crime Agency investigation.

• Alison-Madueke described the 11-year legal ordeal as a deeply traumatic journey for her and her family.

A London jury has acquitted Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of all bribery and corruption charges.

The verdict came at Southwark Crown Court following 46 hours of jury deliberations, bringing an end to a high-profile five-month trial and a decade-long investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency.

Speaking after the verdict, an emotional Alison-Madueke described the toll the long legal battle had taken on her life and family.

"I did my job to the best of my ability. I am just thankful to God. It's been a very, very arduous and long, almost 11-year journey. It has been traumatic, not just for me, but for my family, my friends, and all those who have stayed and supported me," she said. 

"For my 93-year-old mother in Port Harcourt, for my son, and for all those who love us, it has been a hard journey. But I tell you this: God will always do as God wills, and God will be God."

The 65-year-old former OPEC president added that the verdict finally ends a decade of "relentless and unjust vilification".

RELATED: How well do you know Diezani Alison-Madueke?

Alison-Madueke, who served as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan, was charged with accepting bribes from oil executives in exchange for lucrative contracts.

British prosecutors argued that these executives funded a luxury lifestyle for her in London, pointing to items such as:

• A £25,000 Chanel handbag

• A £22,000 designer rug

• Private jet flights, chauffeured cars, and the use of high-end properties

However, the defence successfully argued that these perks were not bribes. 

Alison-Madueke testified that because her Nigerian credit cards often failed abroad, the executives had simply given her short-term loans. 

She maintained that every single expense, flight, and property cost was fully paid back using her own family funds and official state allocations.

The judge instructed the jury that if the defence's claims of full reimbursement could reasonably be true, the actions could not be legally defined as corruption.

RELATED: Nigeria govt secures $52.88m recovered assets tied to Diezani

The prosecution’s case fell apart completely as the jury also cleared Alison-Madueke's co-defendants of all charges:

• Olatimbo Ayinde (54): An oil executive accused of providing credit cards for the minister's spending.

• Doye Agama (69): Alison-Madueke’s brother and a UK-based pastor, who was cleared of conspiracy charges related to alleged illicit payments.

READ ALSO: U.S. lawmaker Kimberly Daniels accuses Minister of State Defense, Bello Matawalle of bribery attempt to influence report on killings in Nigeria

While this absolute acquittal is a massive legal victory for the former minister, her legal battles are not entirely over.

Though her name has been cleared in London's criminal courts, separate civil asset recovery cases—which require a lower standard of proof—remain active in other jurisdictions. 

For now, her legal team says she is finally free to move on with her life after eleven years in limbo.