Diezani Denies Bribery in London Court: ‘I Did Not Ask For, Take, or Receive a Bribe of Any Sort’

Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke took the stand at Southwark Crown Court in London and denied every bribery allegation against her, insisting that the luxury spending at the heart of the prosecution’s case was neither personally motivated nor personally funded.

“I did not ask for, take, or receive a bribe of any sort,” the 65-year-old told the court — her clearest public rebuttal yet of charges that have followed her since she left office in 2015.

Prosecutors have laid out a picture of a minister who enjoyed a life of extraordinary privilege bankrolled by businessmen seeking government contracts. The figures they cite are hard to ignore: over £2 million allegedly spent at Harrods; approximately £4.6 million used to refurbish properties in London and Buckinghamshire.

Diezani’s defence reframes all of it. She argued the expenditures were “operational necessities” tied to her official duties, and that her UK lifestyle was funded through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation — not through bribes or personal enrichment. She maintained she acted impartially throughout her tenure and made no decisions designed to reward those who spent on her behalf.

The Stakes of This Trial

Diezani served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister under President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015 — a period of enormous oil revenues and, critics say, enormous mismanagement. She has been in the UK since leaving office and has denied all charges.

The trial is being closely watched in Nigeria for reasons that go beyond one individual. For many people who lived through fuel queues and power failures during the period she controlled the country’s most valuable sector, what happens at Southwark Crown Court carries real emotional weight. For her supporters, her testimony is a chance to finally answer the accusations in court.

The case continues.

Sources: ThisDay, Hallmark News