Alison‑Madueke Acquitted of All Charges in UK Court

A court in the United Kingdom has acquitted former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison‑Madueke of bribery allegations.

Reuters reports that a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London found her not guilty on six counts related to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery on Wednesday.

The Daily Post notes that Alison‑Madueke held the ministerial post from 2010 to 2015 during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

She was charged with accepting bribes from oil and gas industry figures who sought lucrative contracts in Nigeria.

Prosecutors claimed she was given “a life of luxury” in London in exchange for influencing contract awards.

Alison‑Madueke denied all accusations, maintaining throughout the trial that she never accepted bribes and had no direct influence over government contract awards.

After more than 46 hours of deliberation, the jury delivered unanimous not‑guilty verdicts on all six charges.