On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Former Nigerian Oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has been acquitted of bribery charges by a jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court, bringing to an end a legal battle that lasted more than a decade.
Alison-Madueke, 65, who served as Nigeria’s Oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and became the first woman to lead OPEC in 2014, was found not guilty of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Prosecutors had alleged that wealthy oil executives funded her luxury lifestyle in the United Kingdom through expensive accommodation and lavish shopping trips. The jury also cleared her brother, Doye Agama, of conspiracy to commit bribery, and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde of bribery-related offences.
During the trial, Alison-Madueke denied ever soliciting or accepting bribes, insisting that expenses paid on her behalf by businessmen were later reimbursed in Nigeria. Her defence argued that crucial evidence supporting her innocence had not been produced and criticised the lengthy delay in bringing the case to court.
The verdict represents a setback for the National Crime Agency, which had investigated the case for 13 years. Defence lawyers also questioned why Nigerian authorities had not prosecuted Alison-Madueke and why the oil executives alleged to have paid bribes were never charged.
Following the verdict, Alison-Madueke said the decision brought an end to an 11-year ordeal, describing the period as a “nightmare” marked by intense scrutiny and reputational damage. She said she was relieved that the long-running case had finally been resolved.