Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London for a preliminary hearing in her ongoing bribery case.
The session was held on Monday before Justice Thornton in Court 8. The appearance comes ahead of her substantive trial, which is scheduled to commence on January 26, 2026.
UK authorities had, in August 2023, formally charged Alison-Madueke with allegedly receiving a £100,000 bribe. Investigators claim the payment was made in exchange for approving oil and gas contracts worth several millions of pounds during her tenure in office.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan and became President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2014.
In October 2023, she was granted bail in the sum of £70,000 after a court ruled that she posed a flight risk. Her bail conditions included an 11pm to 6am curfew, continuous electronic monitoring, and the provision of a £70,000 surety.
Separately, in January 2025, Nigeria and the United States signed an asset repatriation agreement involving $52.88 million linked to assets allegedly associated with the former minister. Authorities said the funds were traced to high-value properties in the United States and a 65-metre superyacht, reportedly acquired with proceeds from illicitly awarded contracts.
In Nigeria, anti-graft agencies have also continued efforts to recover assets believed to be connected to Alison-Madueke as investigations into her activities while in office persist.
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