A former Nigerian oil minister made a court appearance in London on Monday, facing charges of receiving bribes in the form of cash, luxury items, private jet flights, and the utilisation of upscale properties in the UK in exchange for granting oil contracts.
Diezani Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister for Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015, during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She becomes the second prominent Nigerian politician to undergo prosecution in the UK in recent years, following the case of James Ibori, a former state governor who was convicted of fraud and money laundering in 2012, resulting in a 13-year prison sentence.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and a major oil producer, grapples with deep-seated corruption within its political elite, hindering development and preventing the equitable distribution of its oil wealth throughout society.
Alison-Madueke was apprehended in London in 2015, shortly after her tenure as minister ended, and she faced six bribery charges in August. She has been on police bail for the past eight years, residing in St John’s Wood, an affluent district of London.
During her initial appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court, she provided her name, date of birth, and address. However, she was not called upon to enter a plea.
The charges brought against her, which were recited in court, all pertain to events that are alleged to have occurred in London during her tenure as a minister.
Prosecutor Andy Young stated that she is accused of accepting a broad spectrum of benefits, both in cash and in kind, from individuals seeking to secure or maintain the allocation of oil contracts, which he claimed were collectively valued at billions of dollars.
These benefits encompassed a cash delivery of £100,000 ($121,620), covering private school fees for her son, and the utilization and renovation of multiple opulent properties in London and the English countryside.
Additionally, these benefits also included the utilization of a Range Rover vehicle, settlement of expenses for chauffeur-driven cars, procurement of furniture, and purchases from the prestigious London department store Harrods, as well as from Vincenzo Caffarella, known for Italian decorative arts and antiques.
Britain, Nigeria’s former colonial ruler, has historically been a favored destination for affluent members of the Nigerian political elite who seek to luxuriate in the advantages of their wealth.
London is recognized as a global hub for money laundering, but it remains infrequent for public figures like Alison-Madueke to be subjected to prosecution for corruption-related charges.