Nigeria’s Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has described her acquittal by a United Kingdom court on bribery charges as the end of nearly 11 years of what she termed “unrelenting and unjust vilification.”
The Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday cleared the former minister of all six counts brought against her after several hours of jury deliberations, bringing to a close a legal battle that began with her arrest in October 2015.
Alison-Madueke had been charged by British authorities in August 2023 over allegations that she accepted about £100,000 in bribes in the form of luxury goods and access to high-end properties from oil industry figures in exchange for the award of lucrative oil and gas contracts while serving in office.
During the trial, which commenced in January, her defence team argued that she exercised limited authority over the approval of oil contracts, maintaining that many of the decisions had already been made before they reached her office.
Reacting to the verdict in a video message, the former minister expressed gratitude to God and those who stood by her throughout what she described as an emotionally draining ordeal.
“I’m just thankful to God. It’s been a very, very arduous and long, almost 11 years. It’s been traumatic not just for me but for my family, for friends, for all those who have stayed and supported, for my 93-year-old mother in Port Harcourt, for my son, and for all those who love us,” she said.
“It has been a hard journey, but God will always do as God wills. God is not a man that he should lie. When He promises you something, He will see it through.”
The former minister, who has remained in the United Kingdom since leaving office, said she had carried out her responsibilities to the best of her abilities and thanked supporters who stood by her during the lengthy legal process.
