Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has told a United Kingdom court that she neither solicited nor received bribes during her time in office.
Alison-Madueke stated this while testifying on Monday at Southwark Crown Court, maintaining that expenses incurred on her behalf in London were official and reimbursed by the Nigerian government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
She explained that payments made for her accommodation, travel and logistics in the United Kingdom were tied strictly to her official responsibilities.
She said, “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.
“I always sought to act impartially.”
Prosecutors, according to a report by the BBC, 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.
They further claimed she had access to multiple high-value properties, including residences in Marylebone and homes overlooking Regent’s Park.
Alison-Madueke, however, rejected the allegations, telling the court that the arrangements were part of official logistics.
The former Minister said the NNPC 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 added.
The court was told that Alison-Madueke spent five days at a property in Gerrards Cross during Christmas in 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 the Nigerian president’s support for women.
“I took it upon myself to put together that book to showcase what he did for women,” she said.
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.
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.
Alison-Madueke 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 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, all of which she denies.
She is standing trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, who are also facing charges related to alleged bribery. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
