Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former petroleum minister, has appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London for a preliminary hearing in a bribery case brought against her by UK authorities.
The hearing took place on Monday before Justice Thornton, ahead of a substantive trial fixed for 26 January 2026.
Alison-Madueke was formally charged in August 2023 following an investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency, which alleged that she accepted bribes totalling £100,000 in exchange for the award of lucrative oil and gas contracts while in office.
She held the position of Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015 and made history in 2014 as the first woman to be elected President of OPEC.
Following her arraignment, Westminster Magistrates’ Court granted her bail in October 2023 in the sum of £70,000, citing concerns that she posed a flight risk. The court imposed additional conditions, including a nightly curfew, electronic monitoring and the payment of a financial surety.
Beyond the UK proceedings, Alison-Madueke has faced asset recovery actions in multiple jurisdictions. In January 2025, Nigeria and the United States concluded an agreement for the repatriation of $52.88 million recovered from assets linked to her. US authorities alleged that the funds were used to acquire high-end properties in California and New York, as well as a luxury superyacht, the Galactica Star.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria has also pursued investigations and asset forfeiture cases connected to the former minister, as legal actions against her continue on several fronts.
