Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, has made a court appearance in London as part of ongoing legal proceedings over bribery allegations levelled against her by United Kingdom authorities.
Alison-Madueke appeared on Monday before Justice Thornton at the Southwark Crown Court, where her case was listed for a preliminary hearing. The session forms part of procedural steps leading up to the full trial, which is scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026.
UK prosecutors charged the former minister in August 2023, alleging that she received bribes totalling £100,000 while serving in public office. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has alleged that the payments were made to influence the approval of lucrative oil and gas contracts worth several millions of pounds.
Alison-Madueke held the petroleum portfolio from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and went on to become president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2014.
In October 2023, she was granted bail by a Westminster magistrates court, which imposed strict conditions after describing her as a potential flight risk. The bail terms included a £70,000 bond, an overnight curfew from 11pm to 6am, and the mandatory use of an electronic monitoring tag.
Beyond the UK proceedings, Alison-Madueke remains entangled in multiple international asset recovery cases. In January 2025, Nigeria entered into an agreement with the United States for the return of $52.88 million linked to the so-called Galactica assets.
US authorities alleged that funds traced to illicitly awarded oil contracts were used to acquire luxury properties in New York and California, as well as the 65-metre superyacht Galactica Star. Within Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission continues efforts to recover assets associated with the former minister as part of broader anti-corruption actions.
