Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke went on trial in London, accused of accepting lavish bribes from industry figures seeking influence over lucrative contracts.
Prosecutors said the former minister enjoyed a “life of luxury,” sustained by those eager to secure favour within Nigeria’s powerful oil sector.
Alison-Madueke, 65, served as petroleum resources minister from 2010 to 2015 under former president Goodluck Jonathan and briefly led OPEC.
She is charged with five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which she strongly denies.
The courtroom heard that benefactors allegedly provided high-end London properties, chauffeur-driven cars, and private jet travel to the former minister.
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy told jurors these gifts formed a glittering web of influence around a woman entrusted with overseeing state oil interests.
Healy said those providing benefits clearly believed Alison-Madueke would use her position to favour them in government dealings.
She added there was no evidence contracts were improperly awarded, but accepting such benefits breached the standards of public office.
Alison-Madueke is standing trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who denies bribery charges relating to Nigerian officials.
Her brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, is also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and is attending the trial by video link.
Prosecutors allege Alison-Madueke received luxury goods, including items from an extravagant 2013 shopping trip to Harrods.
They also claim her son’s school fees were paid by a Nigerian businessman named in the indictment but not facing trial.
Ayinde is accused of bribing Alison-Madueke between 2012 and 2014 and another senior oil official in 2015.
The court heard he allegedly paid a substantial bribe after Nigeria’s leadership changed, seeking to preserve influence within the national oil company.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, yet corruption and mismanagement have long dulled the promise of its vast natural wealth.
The trial continues, with prosecutors portraying a world where power shimmered like gold, and accountability now seeks the light.