Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has told a UK court that she neither solicited nor received bribes during her time in office, testifying on Monday at Southwark Crown Court that expenses incurred on her behalf in London were official and reimbursed by the Nigerian government . “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 said, adding: “I always sought to act impartially” . The former minister, who became the first female president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in 2015, is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother Doye Agama, all of whom have pleaded not guilty . Prosecutors alleged that Nigerian businessmen financed a range of luxury expenses for the former minister, including over £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire .
Alison-Madueke rejected the allegations, telling the court that the arrangements were part of official logistics, explaining that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company reimbursed the costs and that a London-based service firm was engaged to manage travel and accommodation due to inefficiencies within the system . “They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she said . She also spoke about the challenges she faced while in office, describing Nigeria as a “very patriarchal society” and stating that she was under “dire threats of kidnap,” with some family members allegedly abducted . 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 .
Addressing claims about other properties, Alison-Madueke said a residence near Regent’s Park was used for “discrete” official meetings, while another linked to her was “completely gutted” and not habitable when she saw it . The court also heard that she and her mother stayed in apartments in St John’s Wood, with rent allegedly paid by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko, but Alison-Madueke said the arrangement was more cost-effective than staying in luxury hotels such as the Savoy or Dorchester, which she said charged about £2,000 per night . She further 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 . She also described a separate two-week stay at the Gerrards Cross location during which she worked with officials on a publication highlighting the Nigerian president’s support for women .
The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court, with Alison-Madueke maintaining her innocence on all charges. The former minister, who served under President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, has been fighting extradition and prosecution in the UK for several years. Her testimony represents her most extensive public defence since the allegations first emerged following her departure from office. The case has been closely watched in Nigeria, where Alison-Madueke is one of the most prominent figures to face prosecution over alleged corruption during the Jonathan administration. As the trial proceeds, the court will have to weigh her claims of official reimbursement against the prosecution’s evidence of luxury spending far exceeding typical government expenses for officials on foreign trips .
