LONDON — Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was acquitted on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, of all six bribery and conspiracy charges brought against her by British prosecutors. The verdict, delivered by a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London, concludes a high-profile corruption trial that had spanned several weeks.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria's petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015, faced five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The prosecution had alleged that she received lavish benefits and enjoyed a "life of luxury" in London, funded by oil and gas industry figures seeking favorable treatment and lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

A Landmark Verdict

The acquittal follows more than 46 hours of jury deliberation. Throughout the trial, the 65-year-old former minister maintained her innocence, categorically denying that she ever solicited or accepted bribes or abused her office. In her defense, she argued that travel logistics and financial arrangements related to her official duties were handled and reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

The trial also involved co-defendants, including oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde and Doye Agama, both of whom were also acquitted of the charges they faced.

Case Background and Implications

This verdict marks a significant conclusion to a legal saga that has lasted over a decade. British authorities began investigating the former minister shortly after she relocated to the United Kingdom following the 2015 Nigerian general elections.

While the UK trial has now ended in an acquittal, Mrs. Alison-Madueke continues to face multiple corruption-related investigations and legal challenges within Nigeria. Nigerian courts have previously issued various orders for the forfeiture of assets worth billions of naira linked to her and her associates, and some of these local proceedings remain ongoing.

For the British authorities, the acquittal is viewed as a major setback in their high-profile pursuit of the former minister. The case had been closely watched as a test of international anti-corruption efforts, but the jury’s decision underscores the challenges in securing convictions in complex, long-running cross-border financial cases.