UK Court Acquits Diezani Alison-Madueke of Bribery Charges

Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, was acquitted of bribery charges by the Southwark Crown Court in London. The jury found her not guilty on all six counts of conspiracy to commit bribery after 46 hours of deliberation.

Prosecutors alleged that Alison-Madueke received bribes from oil and gas executives in exchange for access to lucrative contracts in Nigeria's petroleum sector, which she consistently denied throughout the trial. She maintained that she did not accept bribes and had no direct control over the contract award process.

The verdict marks a significant legal victory for Alison-Madueke, whose tenure as minister has been scrutinized by investigations across multiple jurisdictions over the years.