Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigerian minister of petroleum resources, has made an appearance at the Southwark Crown Court in London, United Kingdom, where she faced a preliminary session in her ongoing bribery case.
The matter came up on Monday before Justice Thornton in Court 8, as listed on the court’s cause list.
Alison-Madueke attended the proceedings ahead of her substantive trial, which is slated to begin on January 26, 2026.
Recall that in August 2023, the United Kingdom authorities formally filed charges against the former minister, accusing her of receiving a £100,000 bribe.
According to the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), investigators believe she accepted illegal payments in exchange for the approval of oil and gas contracts worth several millions of pounds while she was in public office.
Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. She also made history in 2014 when she became president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
In October 2023, a UK court granted her bail in the sum of £70,000.
The Westminster Magistrates’ Court had earlier placed strict conditions on her release after ruling that she was “a flight risk”.
Among the bail terms were a curfew from 11pm to 6am, the use of an electronic monitoring tag at all times, and the provision of a £70,000 surety before she was allowed to leave the court premises.
In January 2025, Nigeria and the United States entered into an asset repatriation agreement involving $52.88 million traced to the Galactica assets allegedly connected to Alison-Madueke.
The US government stated that Alison-Madueke, alongside her associates, acquired high-end properties in California and New York, as well as the Galactica Star, a 65-metre superyacht using “proceeds of those illicitly awarded contracts”.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also pursued several assets believed to be linked to the former petroleum minister.
