British Prosecutors have levelled fresh allegations against Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, currently on trial for bribery in London.
The court heard that founders of energy companies with lucrative contracts from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) paid the running costs of Diezani’s UK residence.
Prosecutors said the same individuals also paid the salaries of her domestic staff, including a housekeeper, nanny, gardener and window cleaner.
Alison-Madueke is facing a five-count charge relating to the acceptance of bribes in the form of luxury goods and the use of high-value properties owned by industry figures.
Prosecutors told the court that the former minister had an expensive taste for high fashion.
The trial heard that Diezani used a personal shopper at Harrods, paying with the cards of Kolawole Aluko and the debit card of his company, Tenka Limited.
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Aluko, a petroleum and aviation businessman, was listed among Nigerian oil executives, state governors, cabinet ministers, military officers and traditional rulers named in the Panama Papers leak.
He was previously reported to have been investigated for allegedly helping to move millions of dollars out of Nigeria as kickbacks to Diezani.
Prosecutors noted that access to a personal shopper at Harrods is granted only to customers who spend more than £10,000 annually.
The court was told that Diezani spent over £2 million at the luxury department store on Brompton Road in London.
Diezani, Ayinde and Agama are all listed as defendants in the case and have pleaded not guilty.
Background
Diezani served as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She was also the first woman to hold the position and later became the first female president of OPEC in 2014.
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As oil minister, she oversaw Nigeria’s most lucrative sector and exercised significant influence over oil block allocations and contracts involving the national oil company, now known as NNPC Limited.
Origins of the Corruption Allegations
Allegations against Diezani began surfacing while she was still in office, centring on claims that oil firms and politically connected businessmen paid bribes in exchange for favourable treatment, including access to oil licences and contracts.
After the change of government in 2015, Nigerian authorities intensified investigations into alleged large-scale corruption linked to her tenure.
She left Nigeria for the United Kingdom around the end of the Jonathan administration, reportedly for medical treatment.
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Soon after, Nigerian anti-corruption agencies declared her wanted and sought international cooperation to trace assets allegedly acquired with illicit funds.
British authorities became involved after suspicious financial activities and luxury purchases in the UK were flagged.
UK law enforcement agencies, working alongside Nigerian investigators, examined properties, bank accounts, and spending patterns allegedly connected to Alison-Madueke and her associates.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
