Diezani Alison-Madueke faces UK bribery charges, $53M assets seized by US

Diezani Alison-Madueke, who previously served as Nigeria’s oil minister from 2010 to 2015 and was the first woman to hold this position, has been officially charged with bribery by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) on Tuesday. This development follows her historic role as the first female president of the global oil consortium OPEC.

Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, expressed that there are suspicions of Alison-Madueke exploiting her authority in Nigeria and accepting financial inducements in exchange for awarding lucrative multi-million pound contracts. The NCA has brought to light allegations that she received no less than £100,000 ($127,000) in cash, chauffeured vehicles, private jet flights, extravagant family vacations, and the use of multiple high-end London apartments.

These expenditures extend to other privileges, such as furniture, residence restoration, domestic staff, payment of private school tuition, and opulent gifts from prestigious designer establishments like Cartier and Louis Vuitton.

Kelly stressed the pernicious effects of bribery, highlighting its role in fostering serious criminal activities and its potential to inflict profound harm on developing nations. He described these charges as a significant milestone in a comprehensive and intricate international investigation.

The former oil minister, aged 63, was apprehended in London during October 2015 and subsequently released on bail. The NCA has announced that she is scheduled to appear in a London court on October 2.

Alison-Madueke’s legal counsel, speaking on behalf of her family, made it clear after her initial arrest that she would vigorously defend herself against the corruption allegations that have plagued her throughout and after her tenure under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Her family reveals that Alison-Madueke has been residing in the upscale St John’s Wood neighborhood in north London since her detainment and has undergone treatment for breast cancer.

At the time of her arrest, the NCA indicated that only five individuals were taken into custody in London on suspicion of international corruption, without disclosing the identities of those apprehended.

Subsequently, under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, Jonathan’s successor, the Nigerian government acknowledged Alison-Madueke’s detention and confirmed its collaborative efforts with British authorities in the matter.

As part of the investigation, assets worth millions of pounds associated with the case have been frozen, as reported by the NCA.

In a joint effort to combat transnational and organized crime, the NCA furnished information to the US Department of Justice in March, facilitating the recovery of $53.1 million in assets related to the alleged misconduct of Alison-Madueke.