Diezani Denies Bribery, Claims NNPC Funded UK Living Expenses

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, took the witness stand at Southwark Crown Court on Monday and firmly denied soliciting or receiving bribes during her tenure from 2010 to 2015.

Testifying in her defence, the 65-year-old ex-minister told the jury: “I did not abuse my office during that period.” She insisted she “did not ask, seek or solicit bribes” and had always acted in good faith while trying to reform Nigeria’s notoriously corrupt oil sector.

Alison-Madueke, who also served as the first female President of OPEC, described herself as an outsider who entered politics and pushed back against entrenched corruption. She claimed this made her a target of powerful interests.

“I became a target,” she said, adding that she had been threatened and scapegoated. She maintained that all expenses for her UK accommodation, hotels, chauffeurs, and related logistics were official, properly reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and tied to her ministerial duties.

She explained that a service company was established in London to handle logistics because NNPC’s financial systems were “in a mess” at the time.

Properties in areas such as Gerrards Cross, Regent’s Park, and St John’s Wood were used for government-related work, and supporting documents for reimbursements had allegedly “disappeared.”

Regarding specific allegations, including a £100,000 cash delivery by one of her chauffeurs, Alison-Madueke said she was not aware of it at the time and that the money had “nothing to do with her.”

She also denied influencing oil contract awards in exchange for personal benefits, stating that major decisions were handled by the NNPC and relevant committees, with her role often limited to rubber-stamping recommendations.

Alison-Madueke faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Prosecutors allege she received luxury properties, refurbishments worth millions of pounds, high-end shopping sprees (including over £2 million at Harrods), and other benefits from oil industry figures in return for favourable contracts.

She, along with co-defendants Olatimbo Ayinde (an oil executive) and her brother, Doye Agama, have all pleaded not guilty.

The trial, which began in January 2026, is expected to continue for several more weeks, with a possible verdict around late April.

The case has drawn significant attention in Nigeria and internationally as one of the highest-profile corruption prosecutions linked to the country’s oil sector. Alison-Madueke’s testimony marks the start of the defence phase after months of prosecution evidence.