Nigeria's ex-oil minister Alison-Madueke stands trial in UK on bribery charges

Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke took bribes including cash, luxury goods and the use of high-end properties from those interested in oil and gas contracts, British prosecutors said on Tuesday as her corruption trial began.

Alison-Madueke was minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015, under then-president Goodluck Jonathan, and was also briefly president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the first woman to hold either role.

The 65-year-old is now one of the most high-profile former energy officials to stand trial for alleged corruption, having been charged in 2023 with five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.

She denies all the charges and her trial began at London's Southwark Crown Court, where prosecutor Alexandra Healy said Alison-Madueke was given the use of properties and was bought "vast quantities of luxury goods" by those interested in contracts from Nigerian state-owned companies.

Alison-Madueke sat in the dock alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who is charged with one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate count of bribery of a foreign public official.

Alison-Madueke's brother, 69-year-old former archbishop Doye Agama, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and is listening to the trial by video link for medical reasons.

Ayinde and Agama also deny the charges against them.

-Sam Tobin and Robert Harvey/Reuters