LONDON — Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has broken her silence following her recent acquittal at Southwark Crown Court, asserting that a decade-long investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) caused irreparable damage to her reputation and personal life.
The Acquittal
On Wednesday, a jury found Alison-Madueke, 65, not guilty of five counts of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. The trial, which commenced in January, centered on allegations that she received substantial kickbacks, including luxury goods and access to prime real estate, from oil tycoons seeking government contracts. Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and as the first female president of OPEC, maintained her innocence throughout the lengthy legal ordeal.
"When your freedom is taken away from you… it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically," Alison-Madueke told the BBC News. "I knew that I had never done anything nefarious and I had never done any of the heinous things I was being accused of doing."
Missing Evidence and Procedural Disputes
Central to the defense’s argument was the claim that vital documentation specifically boxes of receipts that would have demonstrated that oil executives had been reimbursed for travel and accommodation expenses had gone missing after being seized by Nigerian security forces in 2015.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who served as the appointing authority during Alison-Madueke’s tenure, provided testimony suggesting that third-party coverage of transport and accommodation for ministers on official overseas business was standard practice.
Criticisms of the Investigation
Alison-Madueke leveled sharp criticism at the NCA, suggesting that the agency pursued her as "low-hanging fruit" and failed to adequately understand the political complexities of the Nigerian oil sector. She further noted that her position as a high-ranking female official in a historically "misogynistic society" made her a target.
"The long arm of the law when you go into other countries, particularly in politically motivated cases, needs to have a lot more sensitivity," she stated.
In response, an NCA spokesperson defended the integrity of the process, stating: "The NCA conducted a long-running, in-depth and complex investigation which was regularly reviewed throughout its duration by the CPS and the investigators. We respect the decision of the jury in court."
Unresolved Financial Questions
Despite her acquittal in the UK, Alison-Madueke faces lingering financial scrutiny in other jurisdictions. In 2023, the US Justice Department recovered $53 million in assets linked to oil tycoons involved in her case, alleging that she used her influence to steer contracts toward them. Additionally, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reported the forfeiture of approximately $153 million and 80 properties linked to her in 2022.
Regarding these assets, the former minister maintained that they were not directly traced to her and expressed her intent to pursue clarity now that she is no longer restricted by ongoing criminal proceedings. "It’s now that I’ll have the freedom to find out what exactly has gone on there," she said.
