'You Are Lying To This Jury’ — UK Court Berates Ex-Nigerian Oil Minister Diezani In Bribery Trial Amid Explosive Evidence Of Luxury

The jury in the bribery trial of Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Monday began deliberations after nearly four months of proceedings at London’s Southwark Crown Court, where prosecutors accused her of living a “life of luxury” funded by oil executives seeking lucrative contracts. Alison-Madueke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015 and was once President of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has pleaded not guilty to five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The 65-year-old former minister is accused of receiving luxury benefits including high-end London properties, lavish shopping sprees, chauffeur-driven cars, private flights and other expensive gifts allegedly paid for by oil businessmen with interests in Nigeria’s petroleum sector. The jury was sent out shortly before 11:30am on Monday to consider verdicts on the eight charges facing Alison-Madueke and her co-defendants after months of dramatic testimony and damaging revelations in court. Her co-defendants include oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, charged with bribery offences linked to Alison-Madueke, and her brother, Doye Agama, 69, who is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery relating to a church project. Both men deny the allegations. During the trial, Alison-Madueke repeatedly denied receiving bribes, insisting she merely acted on official recommendations while serving as minister. EXCLUSIVE: Former Nigerian Oil Minister Diezani Branded A Fraud In UK Court As Prosecutor Says ‘You Are Lying To This Jury’ “At no time did I ask, take, or seek a bribe or bribes of any sort,” she told the court while giving evidence last month. But prosecutors painted a starkly different picture, describing her as the central figure in a corruption network built around Nigeria’s oil wealth. SaharaReporters had reported on April 28, 2026, that the trial took a dramatic turn when lead prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC openly accused the former minister of lying to the jury while dismantling her defence during intense cross-examination. Standing only feet away from the witness box, Healy KC tore into Alison-Madueke’s claims that she was merely a “procedural minister” with little personal influence over oil contracts. The prosecutor instead portrayed her as the “General” of a sprawling bribery operation in which oil executives allegedly showered her with luxury in exchange for access and influence. UK Court To Deliver Verdict In Ex-Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke’s Bribery Trial In Coming Days One of the major flashpoints in court centred on Alison-Madueke’s alleged luxury shopping at Harrods. The former minister insisted she had “never seen” many of the expensive items bought in her name and claimed ignorance about who paid for them. But prosecutors countered with evidence from Harrods staff who described her as a frequent and stylish customer with a personal shopper who understood her tastes. “You are not telling the truth. You knew exactly who was paying, and you knew exactly why,” Healy KC told her during cross-examination. The court also heard explosive details of messages allegedly recovered from Alison-Madueke’s phone, including threats she made to oil businessmen Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore during a confrontation in 2014. “I will be happy to escort all of you to jail along with myself. Let us see who survives, me or you. If you don't do what I say, we all go down together,” prosecutors quoted her as saying. “I have reached the stage where I don't care anymore.” The prosecution argued that the messages undermined Alison-Madueke’s claim that she had been blackmailed by oil magnate Kola Aluko and feared for her safety. Instead, prosecutors said the messages revealed a woman firmly in control and issuing threats as investigations into the alleged corruption scheme intensified. Healy KC described the blackmail claim as a fabrication designed to portray the former minister as a victim rather than an active participant in corruption. The prosecution also dismissed Alison-Madueke’s claims that records proving she reimbursed expenses disappeared during raids by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Prosecutors labelled the explanation a “convenient fiction” intended to conceal the absence of any evidence she repaid the benefits she allegedly received. Throughout the proceedings, the court heard how oil executives allegedly referred to themselves in emails as Alison-Madueke’s “true soldiers,” while prosecutors argued she used her position to exchange oil contracts for personal luxury. The case has drawn widespread attention in Nigeria and internationally because of Alison-Madueke’s former influence over Africa’s largest oil industry and longstanding allegations of corruption tied to her tenure. Now, after months of testimony, fierce cross-examinations and damaging revelations, the jury will decide whether the former minister and her co-defendants are guilty of the charges against them.