The United Kingdom has formally opened a landmark bribery trial against former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, marking a significant development in one of the most high-profile international corruption cases linked to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. Proceedings began on January 26 at Southwark Crown Court in London, with substantive hearings expected to intensify as prosecutors lay out allegations that the former minister abused her public office to receive illicit payments and luxury benefits in exchange for influencing the award of lucrative oil and gas contracts.

British investigators have described the case as a major step forward in a long-running, multi-jurisdictional corruption probe involving law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Nigeria. Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, faces six criminal charges under UK law. These include five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

According to UK authorities, all charges stem from alleged misconduct during her tenure as oil minister, a position that granted her enormous influence over one of Africa’s most valuable and politically sensitive energy sectors. Prosecutors allege that she received both cash payments and a range of non-cash benefits as rewards for helping steer “multi-million-pound” oil and gas contracts toward favored parties.

The National Crime Agency (NCA), which led the UK investigation, has accused Alison-Madueke of abusing her power by accepting at least £100,000 (approximately $136,500) in cash. In addition to direct payments, investigators........

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