DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE DENIES BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS IN UK COURT
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has rejected accusations of bribery and misuse of office during her testimony in a UK court.
Speaking at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, the 65-year-old stated, according to BBC, that she never asked for or accepted bribes in return for awarding government contracts.
“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort from these persons and did not abuse my office,” she said, adding that she always aimed to act impartially.
Prosecutors allege that several Nigerian businessmen covered extravagant expenses on her behalf, including over £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million on renovating properties in London and Buckinghamshire.
They also claim she had access to multiple high-value properties, such as a £2.8 million home in Marylebone, a residence in Buckinghamshire, and other luxury houses.
In response, Alison-Madueke told the court that costs incurred during official duties were later reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. She explained that a London-based service firm managed logistics because of what she described as the organisation’s “messy” financial structure.
“They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she said.
The court heard that she and her extended family spent five days during Christmas 2011 at a property in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, though she said she was not involved in arranging the stay.
She added that during a later visit lasting more than two weeks, she and 10 to 12 officials worked on a book highlighting the Nigerian president’s support for women, which she said she initiated.
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Addressing other claims, she said a property overlooking Regent’s Park was used for discreet official meetings, while another cited property was still under heavy renovation and not habitable at the time of her visit.
The court also heard that she and her mother stayed in apartments in St John’s Wood, with rent allegedly paid by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko. She argued that this arrangement was more cost-effective than hotel stays costing up to £2,000 per night at venues like the Savoy and the Dorchester.
She further denied any knowledge of a £100,000 cash delivery allegedly made by one of her chauffeurs, insisting it had no connection to her.
Alison-Madueke also recounted her career progression at Shell, where she became the company’s first senior female executive in Nigeria, despite initial concerns linked to her father’s past dispute with the firm. She criticized the company for not doing enough to address oil spills in the Niger Delta and said more action was needed to repair environmental damage.
Speaking about her safety, she described Nigeria as a “very patriarchal society,” noting that a woman in such a powerful position faced strong opposition. She said she had received serious kidnapping threats and that some of her family members had been abducted.
Overall, she denied five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Also on trial is oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who denies charges of bribery and bribing a foreign public official, as well as Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama, a former archbishop, who denies conspiracy to commit bribery.
The trial is ongoing.
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