Alison Deziani-Madueke: What you should know about ex-petroleum minister’s corruption case

First female president of OPEC and former minister of petroleum resources, Alison Diezani-Madueke, makes her first public appearance via a soon-to-be-released corruption documentary, “Is It Your Money?” directed by Chude Jideonwo in collaboration with Capital Film Production.

The documentary is poised to uncover issues surrounding the corruption charges leveled against the former minister, Diezani-Madueke, since 2015.

Sixty-three-year-old Diezani-Madueke, who served as oil minister from 2010 until 2015, was arrested in London in 2015 and has been on bail ever since. However, she has consistently denied the corruption allegations against her.

SaharaReporters established that the Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom, on October 23, 2024, granted Alison-Madueke a £70,000 bail in her £100,000 bribe trial. Other terms of bail include an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, an electronic tag to be worn by her at all times, and a £70,000 surety to be paid before she could leave the court building.

Here’s a look at the corruption allegations leveled against Diezani-Madueke

The former minister faces charges of embezzling $6 billion and is suspected of collecting bribes for awarding multi-million dollar oil and gas contracts.

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Diezani-Madueke has benefited at least £100,000 ($127,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury family holidays, use of multiple London properties, furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from designer shops such as Cartier jewellery and Louis Vuitton goods in terms of bribes.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly recovered about $153 million and more than 80 properties from Diezani-Madueke, who had been in politics since 2007 when she first served as transport minister, then moved on to the ministry of mines before her role as minister of petroleum resources.

The US Department of Justice also recovered assets totalling $53.1 million linked to Diezani-Madueke.

As part of an ongoing investigation, assets worth millions of pounds relating to the alleged offences have been frozen by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

Former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, also made claims in the “Is It Your Money?” documentary teaser, saying, “All the revelations that came out of the Diezani story by now should have become a movie. Buying a yacht with the money of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and riding it around and renting it out to Jay-Z and his wife, Beyoncé. I think that is more brazen.”