Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has accused British authorities of damaging her reputation following her acquittal of bribery allegations in a London court.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, she said the long-running investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which lasted about 13 years, had a severe impact on her life and should have been handled differently, describing the experience as “painful and traumatic”.
“I’ve not been allowed to travel. I’ve not been allowed to work. They destroyed my reputation and my integrity,” she said.
“When your freedom is taken away from you…it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically.”
Alison-Madueke alleged that she was unfairly targeted, claiming she was seen as an easy target by UK authorities.
The former minister also said investigators failed to consider her anti-corruption efforts in the oil sector and the influence of powerful enemies she had made in Nigeria.
“I was the first female to enter this sort of position as petroleum minister and as head of OPEC in a very misogynistic society,” she said.
She added that the NCA should have taken a deeper look into the circumstances surrounding the case.
“I’ve always maintained my innocence because I knew I had never done anything nefarious,” she said.
Alison-Madueke was previously accused in the UK of receiving luxury gifts and benefits in exchange for awarding oil contracts, charges she denied throughout the proceedings.
She also claimed that documents which could have supported her defence were taken from her Abuja residence in 2015.
“Those items were taken away by our intelligence forces from my home in Abuja in 2015,” she said, adding that she does not know what became of them.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed her, told the court in a written statement that it was not unusual for third parties to make payments on behalf of ministers during official duties abroad.
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When asked who she holds responsible for the outcome of the case, she said: “There’s a bit of blame everywhere”.
“The Nigerian authorities need to look into the processes and practices that they deploy in these cases,” she added.
Alison-Madueke was tried alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Archbishop Doye Agama, both of whom were also cleared.
In 2023, the US Department of Justice said it had recovered $53 million linked to assets connected to the case, alleging she influenced oil contracts for companies owned by certain individuals.
“I was never given the opportunity to fight that because I wasn’t even charged,” she told the BBC.
She insisted that all contracts awarded during her tenure followed proper procedures.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier reported the recovery of about $153 million and multiple properties linked to her.
Responding, she said: “The assets that have been forfeited were not actually traced directly to me… I don’t know what has happened to these matters at all. It’s now that I’ll have the freedom to find out what exactly has gone on there”.
She added that she would speak further about her experiences and future plans at a later time.