Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources and ex-president of OPEC, is set to face trial in London today, January 26, 2026. The 65-year-old is accused of accepting bribes worth millions of pounds during her tenure from 2010 to 2015. Alison-Madueke, who was the first woman to hold the position, has been on bail since her arrest in October 2015 and has denied six charges against her.
The charges include accepting £100,000 in cash, luxury cars, private jet flights, and use of multiple London properties. Other alleged benefits include furniture, renovation work, staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from top designer shops like Louis Vuitton.
The trial, expected to last 10 to 12 weeks, will also involve two others, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, who are being prosecuted on related bribery charges. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) suspects Alison-Madueke of abusing her power in Nigeria and accepting financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts







