Her lawyer, Jonathan Laidlaw, announced the verdict in a statement on Wednesday, saying: “Diezani Alison-Madueke was cleared of six charges of bribery at Southwark Crown Court on 17 June 2026, after a five-month trial.”
The case was prosecuted by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) following a lengthy investigation into alleged offences said to have occurred between 2011 and 2015.
During proceedings that began in January, Laidlaw argued that there had been a “gross delay” in bringing the charges, adding that the delay meant “a great deal of material which would have established her innocence” was no longer available.
Prosecutors had accused Alison-Madueke of receiving “financial or other advantages” from individuals connected to two energy firms that obtained contracts from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation while she served as Nigeria’s oil minister.
The prosecution further alleged that she lived a lavish lifestyle financed by people seeking access to lucrative oil and gas deals. Among the benefits cited were chauffeur-driven vehicles, a private jet trip to Nigeria, and renovation and staffing expenses for several properties in London.
However, her defence team maintained that documents capable of proving her innocence had been lost over time. They also argued that she had been unable to access records kept in Nigeria because British authorities had retained her passport since her arrest more than a decade ago.
Alison-Madueke, who served as President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) between 2014 and 2015, has faced a number of legal proceedings in different jurisdictions, including the United States.
She has remained on bail in the United Kingdom since her arrest in October 2015. In 2023, British authorities formally charged her with accepting bribes, allegations she consistently denied throughout the proceedings.
According to prosecutors, Alison-Madueke maintained a residential address in Britain during the period in which the alleged offences were said to have occurred.