Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied allegations of bribery and abuse of office while testifying before a UK court.
Appearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, the 65-year-old insisted she never solicited or accepted bribes in connection with awarding government contracts.
“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 told the court, adding, “I always sought to act impartially.”
Prosecutors allege that several Nigerian businessmen financed luxury expenses on her behalf, including over £2 million spent at Harrods and about £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire. They also claimed she had access to multiple high-value homes, including a £2.8 million property in Marylebone.
Responding to the claims, Alison-Madueke maintained that expenses related to official engagements were later reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. She explained that a London-based service firm handled her logistics due to what she described as a complex financial structure within the organisation.
“They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs… to allow me to perform the job that I did,” she said.
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The court also heard that she spent time at a property in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, during Christmas 2011 with her extended family. She stated she was not involved in arranging the visit.
On another occasion, she said she stayed for over two weeks with several officials while working 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 explained.
Addressing further allegations, she said a residence near Regent’s Park was used for confidential official meetings, while another property mentioned by prosecutors was undergoing renovations and was not habitable at the time she visited.
The court also heard claims that rent for apartments in St John’s Wood, where she stayed with her mother, was paid by businessman Kolawole Aluko. Alison-Madueke argued that the arrangement was more economical compared to hotel stays costing up to £2,000 per night at luxury establishments such as The Savoy and The Dorchester.
She also denied any knowledge of a £100,000 cash delivery allegedly made by one of her drivers, stating that it had no connection to her.
During her testimony, Alison-Madueke recounted her rise at Shell, where she became the company’s first senior female executive in Nigeria, despite earlier tensions linked to her father’s dispute with the firm. She also criticised the company’s handling of oil spills in the Niger Delta, saying more should have been done to address environmental damage.
On security concerns, she described Nigeria as “a very patriarchal society,” noting that “a woman sitting at the helm was a major no-no.” She added that she faced serious threats during her tenure, including kidnapping incidents involving members of her family.
Alison-Madueke is facing five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all of which she has denied.
Also on trial are oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, who denies bribery-related charges, and her brother, Doye Agama, who has also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.
The trial is ongoing.