By Deborah Nnamdi
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied allegations of bribery, telling a United Kingdom court that she neither solicited nor received illicit payments while in office.
Testifying on Monday at Southwark Crown Court, the former minister maintained that all expenses incurred on her behalf in London were official and reimbursed by the Nigerian government. She explained that payments covering her accommodation, travel, and logistics in the UK were strictly tied to her responsibilities as a public official.
“I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort from these persons and did not abuse my office,” she told the court, adding that she always sought to act impartially.
Prosecutors, according to a report by BBC, alleged that Nigerian businessmen funded a range of luxury expenses for Alison-Madueke, including more than £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire. They also claimed she had access to several high-value properties, including residences in Marylebone and homes overlooking Regent’s Park.
However, Alison-Madueke rejected the claims, insisting the arrangements were part of official logistics. She told the court that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company reimbursed the costs, and that a London-based service firm handled her travel and accommodation due to inefficiencies in the system.
“They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she said.
The court heard that she spent five days at a property in Gerrards Cross during Christmas 2011 with her family, explaining that her former husband required medical care and could not travel back to Nigeria at the time. She also described a separate two-week stay at the same location, during which she worked with officials on a publication highlighting presidential support for women.
“I took it upon myself to put together that book to showcase what he did for women,” she added.
Addressing claims about other properties, Alison-Madueke said a residence near Regent’s Park was used for “discrete” official meetings, while another property linked to her was not habitable when she first saw it. The court further heard that she and her mother stayed in apartments in St John’s Wood, with rent allegedly paid by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko. She argued that the arrangement was more cost-effective than staying in luxury hotels such as the The Savoy Hotel or The Dorchester Hotel, which she said cost about £2,000 per night.
She also denied any knowledge of a reported £100,000 cash delivery by one of her chauffeurs, telling the court the money had “nothing to do with” her.
Alison-Madueke further told the court that she faced significant challenges while in office, describing Nigeria as a patriarchal society and claiming she was under serious threats, including alleged kidnapping incidents involving members of her family.
The former minister, who in 2015 became the first female president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all of which she denies. She is standing trial alongside Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, who are also facing related charges. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
